Homecoming:Continued
by Keeta1283
Summary: Part 2 continuation to Homecoming: /s/5970928/1/Homecoming... which ended right where the show did. This story leaves off from part 1 and we learn more about Katherine/Elena/Damon/Stefan love square and what's in store for Mystic Falls...
1. Responsibility

**For all new readers, please go here before reading any further or you won't understand the plot: .net/s/5970928/1/Homecoming (remember to type fanfiction in front of the .net for the link to work)**

**For all those continuing on with me from Homecoming, nothing has changed. No time change, plot change, nada. It's just part 2. Don't forget to read last chapter from homecoming, ch 17-awkwardness- FIRST- before reading this chapter. ****AND reviews now work, so I expect them without excuses. ANYWAYS. Here you go!**

Jenna was wheeled into the small room Rick was in and glanced over and saw him sitting on the bed. His arm was heavily bandaged and was propped up next to him on some pillows looking like he was in a lot of pain

"Rick," Jenna said as she approached him. He looked over at her in surprise, but then his face relaxed a little.

"Hey. You're up and about…" he managed to blurt out.

"Well more about than up...but it's a plus. What happened?" she asked, taking in his sweaty face and pained expression. She could only imagine what a broken bone felt like.

He shook his head and thinking fast, came up with something. "I was on my way down to the parking lot and tripped over my own two feet and fell down some stairs. I landed on my arm weird and it resulted in a compound break, according to the doctor," Rick said sighing and wincing as though someone had bumped his arm.

"I'm sorry. Can I do anything to help you?" she said fretfully.

"You can tell the nurse to give me more drugs," he said trying to smile, "this freakin hurts."

"What have they done or what will they do?" Jenna asked, wheeling over to the call button to get him some help.

"They gave me some drugs for the pain, but the swelling has to go down and they can properly set the arm. Right now it's in a splint. Later I should have a cast," he said shaking his head.

"Can I sign it?" Jenna asked, trying to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work as he let out a chuckle. "As long as it's not in pink marker."

She smiled at him as she reached the button and pressed it down. Shortly after the nurse came in but didn't provide any help when she told him that he would have to wait a while till he could get more pain meds.

"Tough break…" Jenna said shaking her head.

"Haha," he replied, resting back on the pillow.

"Oops. Didn't even mean to do that joke, but I guess it worked out…I'll let you rest and get fixed up. And who knows, maybe I'll be good to go before you, and I can watch over you for a change," she said with a wink.

"Sounds like a plan," he told her.

"I just need to call Elena and Jeremy and let them know," she said starting to wheel herself out of the room. "Wait. Is Elena still around here? Does she know what happened?"

"No," Rick said after a minute. "She went home a bit before I did to do something with Jeremy. She didn't witness my break," he said honestly.

"Alright…ok. I'm leaving. Rest up," she said looking at him crossly.

"Can do," he said closing his eyes and internally cursing Katherine. The only thing that made him feel better was imagining Elena run her over with a car. A grin formed on his lips as the pain meds allowed him to drift off into sleep.

* * *

Elena jumped back in surprise. She hadn't even realized that Damon was still holding her—apparently he hadn't forgotten as he looked at her with a mischievous look and winked.

"Until we get to the part in the story where this makes sense, for the time being, he was about to save me some pain, but it was unnecessary," she said, walking over to Stefan and giving him a hug, burrowing her head in his chest.

He was about to ask again to explain when he looked down and saw how beat up her neck looked…complete with bite marks on the side.

Stefan pulled away and looked her in the eyes, but she brought her hands up to his lips. "We'll talk inside," she said, knowing she was in for a deep line of questioning. "Besides, I would really like a shirt on," she said embarrassed.

She didn't wait for his reply as she moved away from him and rushed into the house and up the stairs, turning around and motioning him to follow.

Stefan looked at Damon suspiciously, but Damon threw his hands up. "Just friends, Stefan. Sorry your girl just happened to be shirtless in my presence. It happens with me sometimes," he said with a smirk.

Stefan glared at him, but brushed past him to head up the stairs to Elena.

"You know, you really have to stop that," Bonnie said looking at him sternly.

"Stop what? My awesome bantering ability, because I say it's pretty epic."

"The flirting with Elena," Bonnie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just give it a rest," she said heading into the house.

"I flirt with all the girls, Bonnie. I just choose to ignore you because you annoy me," Damon said following her inside.

She turned around with a serious look in her eyes. "I know you think that you have feelings for her, but I think you're just trying to pass on some long lost feelings from Katherine onto her, and I don't like it. So leave her alone with Stefan," she said narrowing her eyes at him.

Damon looked at her for a bit, his expression unreadable. "Enough with the Dr. Phil act. You don't' know anything about me or what I feel," he told her angrily. "My history with Katherine, none of your business. My relationship with Elena, also none of your business…so let's just cut to the part where we go inside and pretend to be friendly for everyone's sake, ok?" he said, raising his brows at her and stalking off into the kitchen where Jeremy was attending to his wound.

Letting out a big sigh of frustration, Bonnie followed and went to see if she could be of any help in the kitchen.

Upstairs, Stefan shook his head, overhearing Bonnie and Damon's conversation as Elena was in the bathroom. It took a bit for him to put his jealousy under control seeing Damon with her, but he was glad he wasn't only just imagining Damon's growing infatuation with Elena: Bonnie was on the lookout too. Stefan didn't know if that made him feel better or not.

"Oww," he heard Elena mumble as he turned his attention back to her room.

"You need help in there?" he asked, coming to the door and looking at her. She was wiping the blood off of her shoulder and neck and wincing as she turned her neck to look at it.

"Would you mind?"

"Here," he said, holding his hand out to grab the towel from her. She passed it to him and he gingerly started patting down the blood near the wound. "Let me know if I hurt you, ok?" he told her being as careful as he could.

She nodded and watched him closely before she let out a small laugh.

"What?" Stefan said smiling back.

"It's just funny that you're a vampire and you're wiping blood off of my neck with a towel…" she said jokingly.

"Would you prefer I Iicked it off?" he said playfully.

"Don't tease me…" she joked back.

He laughed and put the towel down, cupping her face in his hands as he brought her close for a kiss. It was slow and gentle; Stefan being careful not to move her head and cause her pain. He pulled away first and put his forehead against hers. "So what happened…?" he murmured as they stood there.

He felt her breath on her cheek as she let out a sigh. "I'll tell you my side of the story, but you're going to have to hear Jeremy and Damon's side too to get the whole picture….I don't even know everything yet," she said stepping away from Stefan's hold and walking back to her bedroom.

"So I guess the thing to ask first is do you want to hear why I was shirtless downstairs, or why I have bite marks from Katherine on my neck?" Elena said looking at Stefan seriously.

His face dropped as he took in her words.

"I'll start with why I was shirtless…" she said after a moment.

* * *

"I don't think she bought your story," Rio said as Tyler walked back in the room. "It was weak…I should have just told her you were resting and then told you something better to say."

"I already told you I didn't remember what happened. What was I supposed to do? And just stop talking. You're starting to sound like dad already," Tyler said shaking his head and plopping down on the couch.

"Well someone has to take responsibility," Rio said seriously. "Speaking of, you never did quite answer Chloe's question…"

Tyler looked away, uncomfortable. "This is the first time I've been home since everything…I don't even know what happened."

"Oh come off it, Tyler. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together," Chloe said marching up to him and getting in his face. "Mom was mauled….killed by a wolf….a seriously large wolf…and you're nowhere to be found," she said arching her brows and waiting for his response.

"I WASN'T HOME. IT WASN'T ME," Tyler yelled, pushing her out of his face. "I was attacked too. I couldn't have killed mom!"

"Just because you were attacked it doesn't mean you just didn't get into another fight with forest life," Rio said quietly.

Tyler turned his head slowly to look at his brother. "Do you honestly think I killed mom?"

"Yes," Chloe said after Tyler was met with silence from Rio.

Tyler put his hands in his hair and tugged a bit, closing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he decided to tell them what he knew.

"I'm being totally honest when I tell you I don't remember anything, but I remember flashes of memories," he started, anxious to finally get it off his chest. "I remember fighting with mom in the kitchen…then nothing until later and I was looking through some bushes at the house and I think I followed some sort of scent in the woods. But that's it….I couldn't have killed mom, I couldn't…." he ended, choking up and burying his head in his hands.

"You're new. That's why you can't remember things…" Chloe started, softening up and sitting next to Tyler and throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Until you can really control yourself as a wolf, pure animal instinct is released and you let it control you. The only reason you remember anything at all right now is that part of you is trying to cling to your humanity and trying to go back to it that in that moment…your mind Is alert and human again," she explained.

"It was an accident," Rio said after the silence settled in at Chloe's explanation. "The only thing I would say to be grateful about it the fact that you can't remember doing it. I think that would be devastating to re-live," he said closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"But at least I would know if I did do it….what if it really wasn't me?" Tyler said, perking up as an idea occurred to him.

"We already went over this," Chloe said exasperated.

"No. Listen. A few days ago I had a…conversation with someone about how werewolves aren't usually loners; that there's a pack or just random wolves in the area," Tyler said, thinking hard. He edited out the fact that Damon had confronted him on knowing what he was and asked if there was others; there was no need to tell the twins about that now.

"You talked about being a werewolf?" Rio said, opening his eyes in shock.

"No. We were talking about the idea of werewolves since that animal attack a while back….anyways," Tyler said, shifting uncomfortably under their gaze. "What if there were other wolves around?"

"And they had something against mom the same night you shifted?" Rio asked, shooting down Tyler's idea.

"The only thing I can think of to really know for sure is to try and get the scent and see what wolf it leads to," Chloe said thinking hard, but looking uncomfortable.

"Are you crazy?" Rio said, looking at her in disgust.

"Wait. Why is that crazy?" Tyler said, not understanding.

"Because it means we would have to go as wolves and smell it out…"Rio started.

"So. You guys are more advanced. You can do it…what's the problem?" Tyler asked. He was holding on to the hope that he was innocent so much that this idea seemed like his only hope.

"We would have to get the scent from mom's body," Chloe said, hanging her head. "At the morgue."

**P.S. technically thsi means I posted 2 chapters in one day...don't expect that again unless I'm cracked out on caffeine again, lol!**


	2. Oh, Brother

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who decided to still follow along. It makes me super happy. Alright, back to story...**

"So does Bonnie think the spell worked against Katherine, then?" Stefan asked as Elena told him what had happened.

"I would say it most definitely works since Katherine's blood was on my shirt, hence it thought I was her or something….so I say yes," Elena said, sitting down on the bed. "So nothing sinister going on downstairs. It was just weird timing. I love only you, remember?" she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I know and I'm sorry I jumped to crazy conclusions," Stefan told her. "I'm just sorry you were in so much pain, though…The good news is that your house is safe now, he said, hugging her against him. "Now explain why Katherine's blood was on your shirt and what happened," he said more seriously, as he stroked her hair.

"It all happened so fast," she began, leaning against his chest. "Bonnie and I rushed to the hospital after the text from Jeremy that I told you about, and I saw Katherine in the parking lot hurting him. And as I rounded the corner, there she was….and I kinda just pressed the gas pedal down and ran her over."

"Elena, you could have gotten seriously hurt," Stefan told her as he moved to look her in the eyes.

She chuckled thinking back of when Damon said how Stefan would react. She stopped when she saw Stefan still looking at her seriously. "I know, it was stupid, but I just reacted. And then she jumped on top of the car and pulled me out through the window. She then bit me, but she didn't get too far until Bonnie did that mind thing she pulled on you that one time. Then she took off"

Stefan nodded taking it in, and then smiled. "It would have been satisfying to see her run over by a car," he said with a little laugh.

She smiled in return and gave him a hug. "So that's why I was a bit of a mess and now Katherine's probably really pissed off," Elena said shaking her head.

"It's nice to know you wanted to fight back, but it'll probably all backfire," Stefan said sadly, hugging her a bit tighter.

"So do cars, but you just fix it up or junk it. I say we junk Katherine," Damon said entering the room. "Sorry to interrupt," he said smiling as Stefan and Elena pulled away.

"I'm just more worried about her safety now that Katherine's good and angry. The only postivie to all this is that she can't come into this house," Stefan said standing up.

"She's always going to be vengeful, Stefan. I still say job well done," he said smiling at Elena. "Now if you lovebirds are done, you can hear me and Jeremy's version downstairs. It's a bit important."

"Definitely. Elena said hopping up. "I'll meet you downstairs…" she said leaving the room, noticing Stefan wasn't moving, but looking at Damon strangely.

"So little brother, I'm guessing you want to talk?" Damon said, plopping down on Elena's bed. He took a moment to inhale her scent before he focused on Stefan. "If it's the jealousy talk again, can you just drop it? Elena probably already told you it was innocent anyways and…"

"I want to thank you," he said, surprising Damon. "Lately it seems you're there for Elena when she needs help, and I'm not. This is the second time she was in trouble and you helped her."

"She has been kind of damsel in distress lately," Damon said agreeing.

"The point is that I need to be around for her more. But when I'm not, I can't get angry or jealous of you for helping her when something like that happens," Stefan said continuing.

"Oh, enough with the brooding and feeling bad for yourself. She's a big girl and can take care of herself. Yes, bad things happen, but it doesn't mean you're responsible. We're not always going to be there, Stefan," Damon said seriously. "Don't you get tired of just carrying guilt around?"

Stefan glared at him a bit before relaxing. "I just don't want Elena to get hurt and now...I'm going to need your help."

"Stefan Salvatore asking for my help?" Damon said, sarcastically placing his hand on his chest and then looking out the window. "I don't see any pigs flying? Or did hell freeze over?"

Ignoring his reaction, Stefan continued. "I know her house is safe, but I think now she's going to need protection a lot more now that Katherine has more of a reason to hurt her. If you could help be a look out, I'd appreciate it…."

"So you want me to help spy on your girlfriend when she's out and about town?" Damon said with a chuckle.

"I don't really like the idea either, but the more eyes out there the better until we find Katherine," he told him.

"Only on one condition will I help you out," Damon said getting up from the bed.

"What?" Stefan asked hesitantly.

"No more comments about being too close to Elena. No jealousy. Nothing. It's tiring," Damon told him, crossing his arms over his chest. "And, no being all judgy on any of my decisions, either."

"That's two…" Stefan said with a slight grin. "But I agree, as long as you don't cross the line," Stefan said, leading the way out of the room.

* * *

Caroline had been out of the shower and lounging around for a while when she decided she was getting bored. She had already tried Matt's phone, but it kept ringing. Sighing, she tapped her nails against her desk and thought about what she felt like doing.

"I need some girl time," she thought to herself. Grabbing her phone again, she scrolled through and dialed Bonnie's number. It rang a few times and just when she thought it was going to voicemail, Bonnie picked up.

"Caroline? Hey. What's wrong?" came Bonnie's voice.

"Well hello to you too. And nothing's wrong, unless you count having one of your best friends missing in action a problem," Carolien told her.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked confused.

"We never hang out anymore. And, I don't know if you've seen the news, but I was totally mauled by an animal yesterday," Caroline said shaking her head.

"Wait. What? You were attacked? I didn't know. I haven't watched the news in a while. Are you alright?"

"Well if I wasn't I wouldn't be talking on the phone, would I?" Caroline said impatiently. "But, I will look past it because you didn't know…anyways, I want some girl time and was wondering if you wanted to catch some lunch?"

"Umm. Now? I don't know if it's a good time," she heard Bonnie say….."Caroline," she heard her whisper away from the phone.

"Who are you talking to?" Caroline asked curiously.

"My mom. She wanted to know who I was talking to," Bonnie said hurriedly.

"Okay…..but come on. Have lunch with me and….I'll tell you all about the wolf attack. I even have some wicked stitches. Well they are gross so I don't know if you really want to look at them, but…."

"You were attacked by a wolf?" Bonnie said seriously.

"Got your attention now, huh…soo…Lunch at the Grill…in like 20?" Caroline asked hopefully.

Bonnie paused and didn't say anything for a while and then she finally responded. "Sounds great, Caroline…I'll meet you there then."

"Sweet. See you then!" Caroline said, hanging up.

Happy to finally just go hang out instead of being either hospitalized or around Matt-which was fine, but she needed girl time too-Caroline grabbed her purse off her bed and headed outside. She decided to go early and see if there was anyone else interesting hanging around while she waited for Bonnie.

* * *

"Guys. You don't know how important this is," Tyler started. "If there is even one chance that we can find out what happened for good…"

"You want us to go to a public area and risk being caught or found out," Rio said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Tyler, but it's too much to risk."

"I'll do it," Chloe said shocking everyone. "Let's face it, Rio, I've always been a bit more calm and patient when it comes to changing. I'll be in and out so fast, no one would know."

Tyler looked at him with gratitude sketched all over his face. "Anything you need me to do and I'll do it. Just anything to help."

"Just slow down," Rio said angrily. "Tyler, you don't even know what any of this entails. You've transformed randomly, and I'm guessing out of anger," he said with a knowing look. "But the whole process takes concentration….to soothe the beast so to speak. If anything interrupts that process, people are going to get hurt."

"I haven't lost control on people," Chloe said defending herself. "What we need is to make sure you or Tyler are on the lookout while I'm there. It's a good plan, Rio."

"Not when we already know what we need to know, Tyler. I'm sorry to have to say it, but whether you remember or not, you…."

"Enough," Chloe said, halting him midsentence, "Are you in or not, Rio? There's nothing wrong with closure. I'm not ready to see mom yet, but it has to be done. So it would be nice to have someone to reassure me if I get too emotional."

"Forget him. I'll be there for you. Let's go," Tyler said as he saw Rio sitting there in silence staring at Chloe, almost having some silent twin conversation.

"Like you would know what to do if Chloe decided to freak out," Rio said rolling his eyes. "If it means that much, then fine, I'm in. But, we don't go charging in now."

Tyler thought that he would actually explode if he didn't go now. Knowing that there was some way of finding out what happened had him antsy and relieved a bit of the stress he was feeling. "Why not now?"

"It makes sense. There are more people around now, which means more chance of being caught. Night time…not so much," Chloe said smiling at Rio. "I'm just glad you're willing to go along with it."

After the conversation was over, they looked around awkwardly as if not knowing what they should do. Chloe was first to break the silence.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. Is there any food in the house," she asked heading toward the kitchen, but then pausing in her tracks.

"What?" Rio asked, seeing her stop.

"I don't think I can go in there and eat knowing mom…." She said, leaving the rest of her sentence hanging.

"How about the Grill, then?" Tyler cut in, agreeing with Chloe. He didn't even want to go near the kitchen at the moment. It would be like reliving his final moments with his mom before he changed, and they weren't happy ones.

"Warm beer, tasteless conversation, lousy food….why not. It could be fun," Rio said smiling at Tyler. "Joke. I like the place. I'm not always serious all the time if you remember," he said punching Tyler in the arm as he saw him make a face at his comment.

Tyler nodded his head absentmindedly and followed everyone out to the car.

**Alright, not to bug anyone or force anyone to do something they don't want, but I know I have at least 40 story alerts out there….and not even close to that in reviews. So, if you don't mind, send me some love now and then so I know I'm keeping your interest. If not, I'll live…I guess, lol. Anyways, review and enjoy. Cheers.**


	3. Hello?

"Jeremy. You ok?" Elena asked as she came down and saw him sitting by himself in the living room.

"Yeah. I was basically banged around on the car and I nicked my leg on the bumper. Band aid's did the trick," he told her. "How about you?" he asked nodding at her neck.

"Good. I cleaned it up, but I don't want to bandage it till I jump into the shower, but I figured we should talk first," she said looking around the room. "Where's Bonnie?"

"She said to tell you that she went to the Grill because Caroline called and wanted to tell her about the wolf attack at the Lockwood's," Jeremy said shrugging his shoulders. "I still think the whole idea that Tyler's a werewolf is crazy…."

Elena was a bit sad that Bonnie left, but at least she would find out something useful from Caroline…hopefully.

"Ok. Well, I really need to hear what happened with you and Damon before we got there. I guess we'll wait for…."

"Calvary's arrived," Damon said, startling Elena as he appeared at her side. "Stefan said he had a wicked rash down there and asked if I knew of anything to help. But I told him I never had that problem, so I couldn't really be of help," he said smiling.

Stefan shook his head and went over to Elena. "Well according to Elena, you were the first on the scene," he said directing his attention to Jeremy. "So let's go over what happened."

"Well I got there and Tyler was outside waiting around for a ride and he mentioned that he had ran into Elena and used her phone and that she was upstairs," he started. Elena immediately was alarmed.

"She was pretending to be me again…this has to stop," she said shaking her head, but motioning for Jeremy to continue.

"So I was on my way in when I got the text message from Damon, and I put two and two together….I don't know if I would have known it was Katherine if not for the head's up..." Jeremy said guiltily. "But I got up there fast and Katherine was in Alaric's face demanding his ring."

"I don't understand why she wants the ring so bad," Elena said confused.

"Women and jewelry…don't you guys always need a million of everything to match your clothes?" Damon said sarcastically. "But seriously? I would love to know myself why she risked so much to get the ring."

"With Katherine it's to serve her purpose. Whatever it is can't be good," Stefan said.

"And it makes me wonder if she needs one or two rings," Damon said thinking. "When I talked to her that one time she asked about having John's ring, too. So there's something there…"

"It's something to think about later, I guess….so how did you end up in the parking lot?" Elena asked.

"Mr. Saltzman said he wanted to take it outside and Katherine refused unless she had leverage, so I went too. Otherwise she was going to hurt Jenna," he said angrily.

"So you were having a happy chat in the parking lot when I showed up, then?" Damon asked curiously.

"Umm…I kind of shoved vervain in her mouth when she grabbed me, and she didn't like that too much…so she threw me against the car," Jeremy said smiling.

Damon laughed. "Priceless."

"Damon. He could have gotten killed for doing something like that" Elena scolded. "And where did you get vervain from."

"Like you couldn't have gotten hurt running her over with your car?" Jeremy rebutted, smiling.

Elena shrugged, but conceded. "Alright. You made your point."

"And Mr. Saltzman left some sprigs of it on the counter for us and I had it in my pocket. We're going to need more, by the way," he said with a pointed look at Stefan , who nodded his head.

"Anyways, then I showed up after that in time for the teacher to hand over the ring and to hear the car crash….the rest you all know," Damon ended.

"Now if we're all done with cozy family time, I'd like to leave now. I've got some aged whiskey at home calling my name," he said leaving the room. Stefan was going to stop him to tell him about what happened at Tyler's, but decided against it. Elena looked on dismayed at his sudden need to go drink his troubles away.

Once he was gone, he turned to Elena. "I'll let you and Jeremy know, then, what I found out while I was around town….starting with the visit to Caroline's."

"Caroline's?" Elena asked surprised.

* * *

Jenna finished signing the last of her paperwork and smiled in relief that she could finally leave. She still had to check on Rick before she would even think of it, though. She owed him that much after everything he'd done for her.

Walking down the hall, she turned to walk into his room acted to find him sleeping, but he was sitting up dazedly looking at his cast. He turned his head as she came in and gave her a hazy smile.

"Hey, beautiful," he said smiling larger.

"Hi…someone had some happy pills, "she said laughing. "I see you've got your cast. Does that mean you can leave soon?"

"I'm supposed to sign some papers, but I'm right handed," he said shrugging. "I guess they're just going to have to take my word on everything."

"Or…I fill them out for you and you do a crappy left hand version of your name, " she suggested.

"That too," he said as he stood up. He faltered a bit, but she steadied him.

"They really hiked you up on pills didn't they?" she said shaking her head. "Well I guess it makes sense with the broken bone."

"Yeah…it hurt like a bitch," Rick said sadly. "But that's what I get I suppose."

"What do you mean that's what you get?" she asked confused.

Something like surprise flickered on his face before he answered. "For being a klutz," he said quickly.

"Alright then Mr. clumsy, let's get you signed out and home."

Rick laughed a bit as they walked out to the desk. "I think it's kind of ironic now that you are the one taking me home considering you've been the one hospitalized for a while."

"Strange how things like that happen….But, I actually have to call Elena because I'm not supposed to drive, and neither can you," she said, walking him over to the set of chairs.

As they waited, she got out her cellphone and scrolled through for Elena's number. It rang a few times before Elena picked up.

"Hello?" she asked confused.

"Elena! It's me. The hospital finally got tired of me and said I could come home, but we're going to need a ride," Jenna told her.

"Jenna…"she said with realization. "Of course I can take you…wait, did you say we?" she asked confused.

"Yeah. Funny story, but Rick fell down some stairs and broke his arm, so he had to get fixed up. He's a bit out of it so he can't drive. So if you could take us both home, we can have a crazy home from the hospital party," Jenna said with a laugh.

There was silence from the other end. "Elena?" Jenna asked after a while.

"No. What you need to do is hang up the phone, forget you called me, and call Jeremy instead," Katherine's voice said with command, tinged with annoyance. "But there's one thing I need you to do when the time is right…."

Jenna's eyes unfocused as she took in the words and she nodded her head. "Ok." Seconds after that, she shook her head and scrolled through her list to dial Jeremy.

* * *

Caroline looked around the Grill and was disappointed that she didn't see anyone there she was interested in talking to.

She sat at the bar and ordered a coke, still glancing around the room. Someone bumped her elbow on her left, and she turned to glare at them. "Excuse you," she said before glancing up.

"So sorry," he told her as he moved over so he wasn't as close.

Caroline looked into his deep blue eyes and blushed. "That was rude of me, too. Sorry. I was just….do I know you?" she asked curiously. He looked familiar to her, but it was beyond that. Something was nagging at her, but she couldn't pinpoint it.

"I don't believe we've met, but you probably know my brother," he said holding out his hand. "Rio Lockwood."

That was it, she thought to herself. He looked a little bit like the mayor, and maybe a bit like Tyler. But she felt like she knew him from somewhere.

She took his hand and shook it. "Caroline Forbes. And yes, I know your brother," she said still looking him over. "How is he, by the way? I saw him when he was admitted and he totally looked beat up."

He looked her over smiling, eliciting a blush, and was about to respond when the bartender came over. "Gin and tonic, please," he said.

She looked at him surprised. "A little early for a drink, don't you think? Not that I'm judging you or anything, but…"

"No. You're right. But it's 5pm somewhere right?" he said, shooting her a dazzling smile. "I had a long ride in and just wanted a pick me up. And to answer your question, Tyler is doing fine. He's over there with our sister, actually," he said, pointing behind him to the booth.

She looked over his shoulder and sure enough, Tyler was sitting with a brunette and looking uncomfortable as they ate their fries. As if he sensed he was being watched, his eyes fell on Caroline's and his brows scrunched up in confusion.

"Well if they're there, why are you up here?"

"I needed a drink and the service sucks. No offense," he said as the bartender came over and gave him his drink. He downed it and laid out some bills on the counter. "Well it was nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too. If you need any help with Tyler, just let me know," she said as a side thought.

"Help?" he asked laughing.

"Well, I mean he can be very touchy and, whatever. Never mind, that was stupid. You look like you can handle him," Caroline said kicking herself and thinking, Why am I being flirty?

He looked at her appreciatively and nodded. "Oh I can definitely handle him."

At that moment, she saw Tyler approach them. "Hey Caroline. He bothering you?" he asked with a questioning look at Rio.

"I never bother anyone," Rio said in mock hurt.

"Well you did bump into me," Caroline said jokingly.

"You got me there," he said nodding.

Sensing the awkward tension as Rio and Caroline stared at each other for a bit, Tyler broke the silence. "So what are you up to, Caroline? Where's your boyfriend?"

Her smile dropped a bit but then she recovered. "He wouldn't answer, so I don't know. But, I'm waiting for Bonnie. No offense to you boys, but I get tired of hanging out and either playing pool or watching those awful man shows."

"Speaking of, there she is. So if you'll excuse me," she said, getting out of her seat. "See you around," she said behind her shoulder.

Seeing Bonnie, Caroline let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know why she was reacting like that around Rio, but she needed to step away from that. "Hello? Bonnie," she said waving her over.

But Bonnie stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Tyler and Rio standing at the bar.

**I know not too much went on—sort of like a filler chapter—but, if you want this to last till September, you can't have gut wrenching action all the time. EVERYTHING goes to a higher purpose and I promise more twists and turns in this story than a Flavor Twist Frito. Anyways, review and enjoy. P.S. As a sidenote, I will be away till Sunday, so this is the last update till then. Sorry. Hope you enjoy the weekend too :) Cheers. **


	4. Intrusion

Isobel approached the boarding house and looked for signs that the brothers were inside, but was out of luck. She even forced open the door and snooped inside. "I'm so not running around town to look for Damon," she thought to herself. "I'll just make myself comfortable," she said eyeing the canter of whiskey on the counter.

She indulged herself for a while, walking around the room and seeing if there was anything interesting. Going upstairs, she entered room after room, perusing through the shelves and drawers. She smiled as she entered Damon's room and saw the disheveled pile of black t-shirts on the floor next to a few empty bottles of liquor.

"Typical," she said shaking her head. She left the room and continued on to Stefan's. It was the complete opposite. The room was spotless with mostly everything in place except for the occasional books and papers scatted on the desk.

Curious, Isobel walked over to look closer at what Stefan was reading. He had the high school text books on there, but underneath them were random folklore books with notes written in pencil next to the parts Stefan found interesting. "What are you looking for?" Isobel wondered aloud as she saw he had circled random werewolf theories. She scoffed at some of the notes and moved on to see what else was there.

She paused in her tracks as she came to the picture of Katherine. "Eerie," she said. "And creepy. Why does Stefan still have this?"

"He's a pack rat, what can I say? He packs things that only rats should be gnawing on," Damon said walking into the room.

"I find it odd that he leaves it out. What's the point?" Isobel asked.

"And I find it odd that you're in my house and I haven't killed you yet," Damon said pensively. "Weird."

"I wanted to talk and I was waiting for you. I got bored, what can I say," she said gesturing around the house.

"Next time, wait outside like a good dog, ok?" Damon said angrily. "Let's get out of here. It's too clean, like the bunnies he hunts…"

They went downstairs to the living room and Damon eyed Isobel angrily as he saw half of his whiskey bottle empty. "You couldn't have at least gone for some vodka or something? Don't girls like those cosmo's or something?"

"You know me, I have higher tastes and expectations," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "The point is, I'll be out of your hair soon when you answer my questions."

"Shoot," Damon said, taking a long swig from the bottle.

"Did you come across a vampire named Frank recently? You'd know him by the muscles if nothing else," she said reminiscing on his features. "I have to find a hotter replacement," she thought to herself.

"Frank…Frank….The all brawn, no brains, let's stake him then guy? Yeah, I ran into him," Damon said shaking his head. "And all I have to say is that you're stupid for sending him out there to do your dirty work."

"What do you mean my dirty work? He wasn't supposed to be doing anything proactive. He was just supposed to watch," she said curiously.

"Well ape man was discovered in the woods by Stefan and Katherine happened to be there. Katherine wanted to know why he was there. I mean, how do you coincidentally run into three vampires in the woods," Damon told her.

"So he spilled why he was there?" Isobel asked with a bit of nervousness tinged in her voice.

"No. I staked him and he spilled his blood on my best shoes," Damon said shaking his head. "I remembered him being with you and I figured that if Katherine knew, you'd be dead right now."

"Why did you help me, then?" Isobel asked confused.

"Well you do serve a purpose now and again. And I also have some questions for you as well," Damon replied.

"Somehow I think it goes beyond usefulness," Isobel said smiling. "You did it for Elena."

"Like Elena really cares what happens to you miss 'don't find any redeeming qualities in me'," Damon said shrugging his shoulders.

"The woman you love who even though she has no reason to like me, still would probably be upset. She was with John, and she didn't like the guy either," Isobel reasoned. "I get it."

Damon got in her face and snarled. "Is there a point to your useless bantering, or do you just like hearing yourself talk?"

"Fine. Point of the story is that you won't kill me unless you want to lose Elena for good," she said crossing her arms and smiling. "So what's your question so I can leave before you do something you'll regret."

* * *

"Earth to Bonnie," came Caroline's voice as Bonnie snapped out of it and looked back to Caroline. She smiled and walked over to her, still shooting glances over to where Tyler was standing.

"Sorry. Didn't see you…who is that?" she asked gesturing at the man next to Tyler.

"That's Rio Lockwood," Caroline said quietly. "And apparently he and his sister are in town to watch after Tyler."

Bonnie nodded her head and shook off the bad vibes she was getting from them. Being more attuned lately, she could almost feel like their auras or energy was off. And if they were both the same kind of energy…then to her, it could only mean that Rio was a werewolf as well.

"Hello?" Caroline said interrupting her thoughts. "God, it's like talking to Matt when he's watching a football game."

Sorry. Sorry. Look let's sit down and get some food and something caffeinated for me, I'm just out of it I guess," Bonnie said shrugging.

"I'll say," Caroline replied rolling her eyes. "Let's sit over there," she said motioning to a booth that was out of the way of anyone.

"Perfect," Bonnie said. They sat down and looked over the menus. Bonnie skimmed it quickly not really hungry, and put it down. "So what happened the other night, Caroline?"

Caroline put her menu down and looked at her with annoyance etched on her face. "You haven't seen me in like, ages and the first thing you want to know is about the attack? Is that the only reason you came to meet me?"

"No," Bonnie said, mad at herself for just jumping to that story. "I just figured you had it on your mind and that I'd ask. But never mind. You don't have to say anything. So how are you and Matt doing?" Bonnie asked. She knew that Caroline would eventually burst with the need to tell about the attack, but appeasing her for the moment would work.

Caroline smiled, seemingly happy that Bonnie was interested in other things. "We're good. He's been so helpful since I've been out of the hospital. And he's trying to be a do-gooder with Tyler and work things out so that they're still friends."

"Matt's still hanging around Tyler? Bonnie asked surprised. "I mean, he threw him into a table and made out with his mom. How does he just befriend him again?" she asked skirting around the fact that she was more worried than surprised.

"I guess you just move past these things if you're a guy," she said rolling her eyes. "Whatever. So Matt went to go give Tyler a ride home and then, I don't know what. He's probably sleeping now," Caroline said looking down at her menu again.

"Oh, so you called me because your boyfriend isn't around?" Bonnie joked. "I see how it is."

"Nothing like that," Caroline said quickly. "I needed time with my friends. Promise."

"So why didn't you call Elena too?" Bonnie asked confused. "Are you guys not talking?"

"We're fine. I just figured that she was still at the hospital. When Tyler called Matt, he said he had to use Elena's phone, so I just assume she's busy," she said shrugging her shoulders." I think Im getting a burger…" Caroline mumbled looking down at the menu.

"Wait. You said that Tyler called Matt's phone?" Bonnie said thinking.

"Yeah…why? It's totally random, I know," Caroline said as she looked around the room for a waiter.

Bonnie was busy thinking up of an idea. "I need to talk to Matt," she thought to herself with a determined smile.

* * *

"I'd almost forgotten about Tyler's brother and sister," Elena said after Stefan was finished. "So now we have three wolves to worry about….the only good news I can see is that at least Tyler isn't alone."

"You like having more wolves around" Stefan asked with raised brows.

"She means that at least he has at least a brother or sister now that his parents are gone. It helps," Jeremy said looking at Elena, who grinned back thankfully. "But that being said, that's the only good news."

"Do you think Tyler did it, then?" Elena asked Stefan. "I mean, you said his story sounded wrong, so…"

"The thing is there wasn't a way for him to know and we can't know for sure either. Whether he did or not isn't important. It's whether he will again, and when," Stefan said looking disturbed. "We don't know enough about werewolves in the first place."

"I wish Anna was here…" Jeremy mumbled out of nowhere.

Elena shot a worried look at him, but he waved it off. "It's just that she'd probably know where to get all the information we needed. She was good at researching," he ended looking morose and remembering the first time he had met her.

"I'm sure Mr. Saltzman will stumble upon something," Elena said trying to break the tension. "And I'm sorry you miss her, Jer…."

"Forget I brought it up," he said growing agitated. "I think I'm going to take a shower if you don't need me here anymore."

Elena looked like she didn't want him to go, but she saw the look in his eyes and it looked like he clearly needed some alone time. "Go ahead. We'll be down here."

HE nodded gratefully and went up the stairs to his room.

"I feel so bad that everything is just piling up for him," Elena said sadly. "I told him everything and he's dealing with losing Anna. It's a lot to take in…"

Stefan brought her in for a hug and comforted her. "I'm sure he'll deal well. He didn't seem to freak out about any of the news. Besides, you are handling everything well. He's your brother; he can do it too."

"Speaking of brothers," Elena said sliding out of his grasp, "are you and Damon ok?"

"We're always going to have our issues, Elena. But I assure you we are on the same side now that Katherine's back. United in one goal so it seems," Stefan said musing.

"It's just, he seems kind of sulky when he's not talking and going on. And he's turning back to the booze," she said thinking over his mood lately. "Is he taking everything with Katherine that hard? Did she tell you guys something you didn't tell me?"

Stefan thought it over a minute. He knew Elena meant well, but it still bothered him a bit that she was asking about Damon; that she noticed how sad he was when no one was looking. The other thing that was bothering him, however, was that he was holding the news about Katherine and Elena's car crash. He didn't know how she would take it and didn't want to find out-not with everything else going on.

"Yeah. He's just taking Katherine being in town pretty hard," Stefan said as she looked at him curiously. "Even though he won't admit it, or hates to, he still cares for her regardless of the pain she caused him by being away all this time."

"Stefan. Why do you really think she's back in town," she asked after she was done worrying abuot Damon. "I mean, she can't really be here for you guys, right? She's had all this time and now? Well she's not exactly trying to win your hearts lately."

"The only thing I know for sure about Katherine is that she tries to get what she wants no matter what the cost," Stefan said sighing. "And usually gets it."

"Well I hope she wants a new car…rammed in her face," Elena said laughing. "Because I can always give it another go."

Stefan couldn't help but chuckle. "I know you can, but it's not fair to your car to subject it to something like that."

She was about to respond back when Jeremy came down the stairs. "Hey, Jenna called and wants me to come get her. You coming or staying?"

Elena thought about it but then shook her head. "No. If she's coming back, I have to straighten up. She'll freak if she sees the house all crazy."

"Ok. See you later, then", Jeremy said heading out the door.

"Wait. I'll go with you," Stefan said surprising Elena and Jeremy. "I want to make sure Katherine's not out there."

"Good thinking," Elena said.

"You need to promise me you won't leave this house. It's the only protection you have right now," Stefan said worriedly, thinking of sending Damon a text.

"Pinky promise. I have to clean and you have to go. Out," she said shooing them away and rushing to the closet for a vacuum.

They murmured goodbyes as she locked the door behind them. Sighing, she plugged in the vacuum and went to work.

**I wish I could just tell you everything I have planned so you're not like, "why is this chapter here. I want kissing or punching or something" but that would totally ruin the story. So, hope you enjoy the characters and understand what some of them are up to and what they want. Review and enjoy. Cheers.**


	5. Investigating

"So what was that about," Tyler asked Rio angrily as they walked back to the table.

"I could ask you the same with that chick who came in and stared you down like she knew something," Rio responded back.

"Bonnie? I don't know. She hasn't seen me since the hospital when we waited for Caroline. Maybe she was surprised. I don't know, but you're changing the subject," Tyler said as the slid into the booth.

"And what subject would that be?" Chloe asked curiously.

"He was flirting with Caroline," Tyler mumbled.

Rio smiled wickedly as he grabbed some fries off Chloe's plate. "What? A guy can't have some fun?"

"No. Not with people I know, Rio. Besides, she has a boyfriend," Tyler said.

"Not a problem for me…Besides, you know who she is, right?" he said looking at Tyler and a confused Chloe. "She's the good old sheriff's daughter. Maybe we can get the inside scoop on what her mom knows…she seems like a chatter."

"I won't let you use her like that," Tyler said defensively. "She's my best friend's girl and I don't want him getting hurt."

Rio thought for a moment but didn't respond. Tyler was about to go into it again when Chloe broke the silence.

"What about that chick that was staring you guys down? Does she know about you?" she asked, turning to Tyler.

"No. I haven't even seen her in a long time. I don't know why she stopped," Tyler said shrugging his shoulders.

"I think we should look into it," Chloe said looking at Rio with a smile. "Just in case."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tyler said getting nervous. "You're being paranoid."

"Well it won't hurt to spy on her a bit and see what her story is," Chloe said. "Relax. We have enough to worry about with our trip to the hospital."

At that Tyler turned pale. He was very determined to go and find out for sure, but at the same time he was nervous about seeing his mother all mangled.

"You sure you up for this?" Rio finally said looking Chloe over thoughtfully.

"Yes. I am. And besides, even if I wasn't, I have you to keep me in line…" she said with a smile.

"We really need to talk about all of this," Tyler finally decided. "I don't understand anything about us. How we transform, when, why, anything and …"

"That's a conversation for home," Rio snapped, looking around. "And you know what, I think we should go to the hospital sooner rather than later…"

"Really? Chloe said anxiously, looking from Rio to Tyler.

"They will probably be changing shifts at the hospital…and being Mystic Falls, I doubt there will even be many people there in the first place. If we're stopped, Tyler here can say he wanted to get his stitches looked at," Rio said.

He waved over to the waitress to signal that he wanted the check. She smiled and nodded her head; walking to the counter to get their receipt. As he was looking, he saw Caroline and Bonnie emerge from their booth and head for the door. He noticed Caroline glance his way and he shot her a dazzling smile and saw her blush and smile back.

He looked over to see Bonnie's reaction and received a cold glare back.

"Seriously, Rio? Enough," Tyler said, noticing him smiling at Caroline.

Ignoring Tyler, he turned to Chloe. "I think a little spying on that other girl will definitely be beneficial…but enough talk," he said as the waitress approached. "We have more important things to do."

* * *

"I didn't peg you as a myth and folklore kind of guy. I'd say more ancient torture techniques" Isobel said smiling. "Why are you interested in werewolves?"

"I don't know if you've noticed but we have a few in town, and I was curious about how to put them down," Damon said sipping his drink. "And I heard from a little history birdie that you studied many aspects of the supernatural."

"Rick would know…."she mused. "Yes. I do know a bit about them. I never could truly believe if they were truly myth or not having never run into them, but my research was pretty concrete."

"Anything interesting I should know? And how do we kill the things?"

"Do you want a history or would you rather just go in with guns blazing?" she asked.

"If I wanted a history lecture, I'd have Stefan here. He's the one going to school," Damon said shaking his head. "Just tell me what I need to know."

Isobel crossed her legs and thought a moment before speaking. "From what I remember in my studies, the werewolf is most vulnerable as a human. They don't possess any inhuman abilities then. But as a wolf, they are fierce and hard to kill."

"Silver bullet to the heart?" Damon asked hopefully.

"Afraid that the silver thing, is a myth. Their healing abilities are incredibly advanced. You shoot them in the heart, it would just heal back in seconds," she said seriously. "The only way to rid yourself of one is to do a lot of damage and take its head off."

"I always wanted a wolf head mounted over the fireplace," Damon mused. "So now I just need a really big machete…"

"Another thing is that werewolves aren't just ruled by the moon," Isobel continued. "They've evolved to the point where they can transform at will, or even accidents sometimes. But, and this is important…Maybe I should just leave it there since you don't want a lecture," she said pausing in mock suspense.

"I've sat through it long enough, might as well finish. Go ahead, enlighten me," Damon said, throwing up his arms.

"When the full moon is up, they have to transform and they have no humanly control over what they do. They'd kill their own pack members that they are so controlled by the animal self. And this is also the time that they can change others to werewolves by a bite," Isobel added.

"Yeah. We don't need any more puppies running around town. But if a person is bit any other time?" Damon asked.

"It's just a bite like any other," Isobel said. "I think I covered all the bases, now. Just do me a favor and make sure Rick doesn't try hunting them like he tried hunting you," she said pointedly. "

"Coming from someone who doesn't care, that's kind of a big favor," Damon teased. "But I don't think he's going to be able to hunt for a while without that magic ring," Damon said standing up. "Now can you go before I decide you've lost any usefulness to me."

"What do you mean without his ring?" Isobel asked angrily. "Did you take it from him?"

"No, but Katherine did…" Damon commented.

"Son of a bitch," Isobel said, darting out of the house in an angry rush.

"Why am I always called that?" Damon said, continuing to down another glass of whiskey.

* * *

Jeremy and Stefan drove in awkward silence for a while as the headed to the hospital. It was finally Stefan who decided to start up a conversation.

"So Jeremy…"

"Look. I don't need you to lecture me on Elena' behalf on feeling sorry for myself or how about things happen for a reason…or for thinking about Anna. So can we just not talk about it," Jeremy snapped before Stefan could talk.

Stefan paused and nodded his head. "Understood. But I wasn't going to do that anyway. I was going to ask about the incident with Katherine. I wanted to say that it was smart of you to think of the vervain like that, even if your method was highly dangerous," Stefan said with a smirk.

Jeremy looked over at Stefan stunned that the conversation went that way. "Yeah. I guess it was just a think on your toes moment. I guess me and Elena have that in common."

"That much is clear," Stefan agreed.

They sat in silence again as they got closer to the hospital.

"So did you really come just to watch out for Katherine, or did you something else?" Jeremy asked after a while.

Stefan sighed and decided he would talk. "Both. But I just wanted to go over things with you so that you're prepared. And first is clear; Katherine will be targeting you and Elena. So you need to always be on alert and make sure you wear vervain."

"Figured that much," Jeremy said rolling his eyes. "But what sucks is that if Katherine approaches me on the street, I wouldn't even know who was who, really. Sad, but true."

Stefan thought about it for a moment. "I know it's hard. But I was thinking of giving Elena a new necklace, so when that time comes, just keep a look out for it on her neck. Until then…maybe ask her a personal question before you trust her."

Jeremy nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Anything else?" he asked, sensing there was something important Stefan was wanting to say, but not spitting it out.

"I want to ask you to do something that is dangerous," Stefan began uncomfortably, " and I wouldn't ask it of you if it could be helped. And it's completely your decision on the matter if…"

"Just spit it out Stefan," Jeremy said anxiously.

Stefan sighed and began. "Remember how I told you I was scoping out the Lockwood's? I think, and this is only if you agree, that we need someone on the inside to see what they're up to." Stefan said glancing at him as he turned into the back parking lot.

"You want me to be Tyler's friend so I can spy on him?" Jeremy asked slowly.

"In a way, yes. It would be a good way of seeing what they are all planning and see…what makes him tick. But this is why I said it was dangerous and I didn't really want to ask…" Stefan said.

"And why you wanted to ask when we weren't around Elena…."Jeremy mused. "I never thought you were the one to take risks. I thought that was a Damon thing," he added.

"My brother risks others lives with the common end game of death and it is usually to aid in some deep motive of his" Stefan said shaking his head. "I wouldn't ask this of you unless I thought it was necessary. Once we get enough information, you can step away."

"And I only haven't mentioned this idea to Elena yet because I wanted to know how you'd react," Stefan added. "I will tell her once I know how you feel."

Jeremy thought it over as they sat in the parking lot. "I'll do it," he said after a minute. "I'd rather be doing something useful than being in the way or just being told all the bad things that have happened without me knowing."

Stefan nodded in agreement.

"It shouldn't be too hard…but I have one thing to say about this all," Jeremy started. "And that is that you agree not to tell Elena or she'll flip. She wouldn't understand and will say how dangerous it all is for me. But I'm not a child. I don't need to be looked out for like one."

"If you think that's the best choice, then I will be discreet," Stefan said. "Are you sure you're up for the challenge?"

"Beats having nothing to do all the time…" Jeremy thought to himself before turning to Stefan and nodding his head.

"I'll be forever in your debt for your help," Stefan said smiling gratefully. "This helps not only us, but the whole town if we know how to act and prevent anything from happening."

"I know….Well when I see Tyler next time, I'll strike up a conversation or something," Jeremy said scrunching his brows. "We'll see if I can even become his friend. We kind of hate each other."

"Well now might be an interesting time," Stefan suddenly said as he stared across the parking lot as Rio, Chloe, and Tyler emerged from a silver mini coop and started walking toward the hospital.

**Remember to review! Anyways, hope you liked it. Promise some action in the next chapter...well that's the plan at least, lol. Cheers.**


	6. Unexpected

Once Stefan and Jeremy left, Elena began running through the rooms and making sure nothing looked too out of order. She knew that Jenna wasn't necessarily a neat freak, but she wanted to show that she and Jeremy could at least take care of her things.

Going room by room, she hesitated at Jeremy's door before deciding to go in. "He did read my diary," she said shaking her head as she entered his room.

Making sure there weren't any dirty dishes, she went through and did a quick check of the surfaces. She was about to leave when she noticed Jeremy's vervain bracelet lying near a stack of school books. "Jeremy," she groaned out in frustration. She shoved it in her pocket determined to glue it on his wrist the next time she saw him.

Happy with the quick check of the rooms upstairs, Elena rushed back down and went to full-out vacuuming mode.

She was just finishing the living room when she heard the doorbell ring. "Just a second," she yelled out as she shut it off. She opened the door and almost slammed it shut.

"Now that's not very polite," Katherine chided with a forced grin on her face. "You hit me with a car, the least you can do is not slam a door in my face too."

Elena glared at her a second and decided to not shut it. Now was as good of a time as ever to see if the spell worked. And if it didn't, then a door wouldn't stop a vampire anyway. "Get the hell away from my house," she snarled at Katherine.

She clicked her tongue at Elena and shook her head. "Is that anyway to talk to your great great great great grandmother," she smiled wickedly.

Elena's face froze as she stared at her with bewilderment. "What?"

"What, you never put it together, Elena? You know that through Isobel we're related. Is it really that hard to believe?" Katherine said, cocking her head to the side. "We can talk more inside…but it seems I can't get in…which is weird considering that I've been invited."

Elena shook her head ignoring the claim that Katherine was making. "I'm never inviting you in this house and I don't believe your story anyway."

Katherine sighed impatiently. "We'll see…but my story? It's legitimate. It actually goes back to how I turned in the first place…interested in how I was turned, Elena?"

Elena actually was curious as to how and why Katherine became a vampire, but she wasn't willing to invite her in to find out. "You're still not coming in."

"I didn't think so…" Katherine said slowly. "Well if you ever want to know, just come and ask me. I'll tell you about our family…and maybe a little about yours," Katherine ended with a chuckle; like Elena was missing out on some joke.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Elena asked a bit anxiously.

"You're the one who doesn't want to chat inside, Elena. The porch is never a place for serious chats…Unless that is it comes with a kiss from an extraordinarily handsome man," she grinned wickedly.

Elena ignored her, shaking off the image of Damon's said kiss with Katherine, and decided she had enough. "Why are you really here, Katherine?"

Katherine stopped smiling and looked at her seriously. "I just wanted to chat…and let you know that I'm far from done in this town. I know about your witch, your brother, Aunt, friends…..and when I leave here, no one will be able to mourn your death because there will be no one left," she snarled at Elena.

Elena stared at her a bit scared, but she put on a determined face and snarled back. "I'd like to hear you say that when there's a stake through your heart."

"Nice try at being menacing, Elena. But you don't quite have the touch," Katherine said smiling ferociously and baring her fangs. "I do have one more thing to say…an offer if you will…"

"And that is?" Elena still asked, standing her ground.

"You know, I think I changed my mind on killing everyone just yet….if you come somewhere with me to chat," Katherine said.

"You're joking, right? Like I'd go anywhere with you," Elena said shaking her head and going to shut the door.

"Even if it means saving your precious friend…" Katherine said staring at Elena seriously.

Elena's heart hitched up at the comment. "What are you talking about? Who…"

"What was his name….oh, yeah," she said laughing "Matt."

* * *

"Do we even know what floor the morgue is on?" Chloe asked as they walked through the parking lot.

"That's what the directory list is for," Tyler said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't get snarky with me. I'm doing all the work," she snapped at him.

Tyler was about to respond when he heard his name being called. Almost in unison, all 3 Lockwood's' turned to see who was calling him.

"Who are they?" Rio asked curiously.

"That's Jeremy Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore," Tyler replied. "Hey, Jeremy. Back again?" he said as he approached.

"Yeah. Jenna's being released today so I came to get her," he said smiling. "What are you doing back here today?" he added looking at Rio and Chloe curiously.

"Oh, this is my brother Rio and sister Chloe," he said as he saw Jeremy looking at them. "Guys, Jeremy and Stefan," he said pointing at them.

They nodded their head in acknowledgement and waited for Tyler's response. "And I'm gonna get some of my stitches looked at. They feel weird...anyways," he said feeling awkward. "I have an appointment so I have to go."

"Do I know you?" Chloe suddenly asked as she noticed Stefan looking at her curiously.

"No. Sorry. You just look familiar," Stefan said shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe I've see you around town or something."

Rio glared at him and looked him over for a second, and cocked his head to the side as if trying to figure him out. Stefan cleared his throat and looked at Jeremy. "Well we'll let you go on to your appointment."

"Nice meeting you," Rio said briskly as he grabbed Chloe's hand and walked toward the hospital.

When they were a good distance away, Rio looked at Tyler. "You know some strange people, Tyler," he said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with," he said walking inside and heading toward the directory board.

As they were looking, Jeremy and Stefan emerged behind them. They passed behind Tyler on their way to get Jenna and Alaric. Stefan paused for a second to see where Tyler was looking at, otherwise continued on his way.

They waited till Stefan and Jeremy were out of sight to say anything. "Alright, 4th floor and the elevators are this way," Tyler said pointing and heading toward them.

They reached the elevators and found Jeremy and Stefan there.

"We just keep running into each other, don't we…"Rio commented.

"Well it's a hospital with a lot of floors. We're bound to bump into each other," Jeremy replied.

"True," Tyler said as he looked at Rio with a 'don't be paranoid' look.

The doors opened then and they all got in. "What floor?" Stefan asked as the doors closed.

"Four," Tyler responded as Rio said "Three."

"Your doctor's office is on the third floor, Tyler. Can't you read a directory?" Rio said shaking his head.

Tyler recovered and bumped his brother's arm. "My bad."

Stefan and Jeremy waited as the doors opened to the third floor. "See you around, probably," Jeremy joked with Tyler.

Tyler let out a chuckle. "Probably," Tyler agreed.

When the doors shut, his smile faded as he thought about what they were about to do.

* * *

Isobel arrived home and slammed the door angrily, startling Cherie from the couch.

"The little bitch…." she snarled as she went into the living room.

"What's wrong? Was it Katherine that killed Frank?" Cherie asked curiously.

"No. Damon killed him because he was stupid and got caught….Katherine, on the other hand is really starting to piss me off," Isobel said angrily.

"Why did Damon kill Frank, though? I don't understand…" Cherie started.

"It doesn't matter, Cherie. He's dead, alright."

"So what did Katherine do this time that has you all riled up," a voice called from the other room.

"For some asinine reason, she took Alaric's ring away. I don't know why she would need it at all unless she's just out to go after him after she promised who she wouldn't hurt," she said shaking her head.

"Well she already proved she couldn't stick to her word when she attacked Elena. What made you think anything else would change? Besides, I thought you 'stopped caring a long time ago."

"Just because I don't have feelings doesn't mean I want people like Rick to suffer on my behalf. He at least deserves that," she muttered slowly. "And for the most part, Katherine did keep her word on not killing Elena. She left her alive. A formality, I know," she said as she saw raised brows directed at her. "But she has no reason for any of this."

They sat in silence trying to figure out what Katherine's action was leading up to.

"She knows that whoever wears the ring is protected from dying and that when taken off, they are vulnerable again. But it's useless to vampires," Isobel said pacing the floor and trying to think.

"Not to change the subject, but do you think there's a chance you can get me my own ring or necklace so that I can go in the sun like you?" Cherie asked interrupting her thoughts.

Isobel turned and glared at her. "Planning on leaving me Cherie?"

"No, no, no," she quickly uttered nervously. "It's just that it would be nice to go with you and help instead of waiting till the night time to do anything."

Isobel sized her up trying to decide if she meant it. "Whatever the case, not that I can foresee. Katherine helped me get my necklace and she's the only one I know who has knowledge of where to acquire them," Isobel mused. "Although, getting you a stone of your own may prove a good alibi to having a chat with Katherine."

"I thought you wanted to stay away from Katherine because you think she might kill you," the voice piped in again.

"That's when I thought there was a chance she was suspicious of me. But if I can get her to think that I trust her, maybe I can find out something about what's going on. It's better than being in the dark," Isobel decided.

"Don't you need to find her first?" Cherie asked confused.

"Well that's where you will come on handy. When its nightfall, we will split up and try to catch a lead on Katherine and keep each other posted," Isobel said. "I'll go in asking about a ring for you and then carry on about other interesting subjects…"

"Like what? You know her goal is to get to the Salvatore's'. Does anything else even matter in between? I say stake her and be done with it," the voice continued.

"You're so one-minded. This is Katherine, not some newborn with a one-track mind. She's got something up her sleeve besides bedding the Salvatore's and bumping Elena out of the way. I can feel it….call it a family's intuition," Isobel said humorlessly.

Isobel was about to head upstairs when the voice piped up from the other room again. "What about the other ring?"

She turned around and looked on confused. "What do you mean?"

"The ring you took the night that Katherine showed up at Elena's house…"

She looked surprised that this fact was known but shook it off. "What about it?"

"Why don't you give it to your ex and make yourself feel better?"

"Because I don't him getting his fingers chopped off and dying like you," she quipped back.

"That's a bit harsh…" John responded as he approached the staircase.

**Duhn duhn duhn! Hope no one saw that coming! I wanted you guys in the dark as to who Isobel's guest was and decided that it was about time you knew! ****Hope you are kept intrigued. Review and enjoy. Cheers.**


	7. Trust issues

"What was up with all that? Tension, much?" Jeremy asked Stefan as they paused in the hallway. But Stefan kept on walking to look over at the directory for the floors.

"I don't know," he finally responded. "But there's really no patient care relating to him on the fourth floor, and he seemed pretty certain it was the fourth…"

"And do you know Chloe or something?" Jeremy asked.

"No. I finally figured out why she looks so familiar, but it's not important," Stefan said nodding his head. He was about to turn away from the board when something caught his eye and an idea sparked. "The morgue."

"What?" Jeremy asked confused.

"The fourth floor has the morgue…maybe they are going to see their mother's body," Stefan said thinking aloud.

"Why wouldn't they just wait till the funeral? She has to be all messed up right now. And if Tyler did kill her, why would he want to see that?" Jeremy said shaking his head.

"Maybe she could somehow be alive if she was bitten and possibly transformed?" Stefan mused. " I don't know anything on wolf-lore, so I can't even begin to guess how any of it works. But either way, it can't be good news that they're here."

"What do you think we should do, then? It's not like we can follow them. They know we're here to get Jenna and what floor. It would be too suspicious to run into them," Jeremy said thinking it all out.

"I would rather see what they were up to, but I'd rather not spend too much time here with Elena by herself," Stefan said looking seriously at Jeremy.

"She's fine. She's not going anywhere," Jeremy replied. "She will clean till it shines. Trust me. If you're so worried why don't you give her a call or something?"

Stefan thought it over and shook his head. "You're right…but I've taken too many chances when it comes to Elena's safety…" Stefan said taking out his phone.

He brought up Damon's number and sent him a text. **Damon, if you could put down the bottle for an hour, I need you to watch Elena's house for a bit. Something came up at hospital with the Lockwoods…Thanks.**

Stefan added the last part grudgingly before he sent it out.

"What did you do?" Jeremy asked as Stefan put his phone away.

"I asked Damon to keep an eye on the house while we are out," Stefan replied. "I'm going to the fourth floor, then to see what they are up to. I'm least likely to get caught considering what I am," Stefan explained since Jeremy looked like he wanted to protest.

"Well what do you need me to do then?" Jeremy asked a bit peeved that he couldn't follow.

"Find Jenna and tell Alaric what's going on. I'll see you there when I'm done," Stefan said, starting a brisk walk to the door labeled stairs.

"I'm always left waiting," Jeremy sighed as he continued on his way to find Jenna and Alaric.

* * *

"So what's with Tyler's brother?" Bonnie asked Caroline as they drove to the mall.

"What do you mean besides that fact that he's totally smoking," Caroline said with a smile. "And just because I have a boyfriend it doesn't mean I can't still look at other guys," Caroline said at the look from Bonnie.

"There's just something off about him…I feel like he's nice to your face, but will blow up at you for stupid things. Like Tyler and his bad tempers," Bonnie said shaking her head.

"Seriously? I didn't get that vibe. I mean, I get that, like, he's Tyler's older brother and they probably are all similar in their attitudes, but I think he's charming," Caroline said defending him.

"Don't even tell me you are crushing on him?" Bonnie said with raised brows. "You're with Matt!"

"Chill out, Bonnie. I met him for like five minutes. I'm just saying he's cute and seems nice...Maybe you could date him?" Caroline said, but without much conviction on the last part.

Bonnie shook her head, thinking about the monster he could become at any point in time. "I'll pass. But you better just watch it. Ok? Trust me when I say he's bad news."

"Oh, your psychic mode is coming out?" Caroline said laughing. "Ok, I'll be on the lookout…but only if you can tell me the winning lottery numbers too."

Bonnie couldn't help but to laugh and slapped her on the arm. If I could predict that, do you think I'd be driving a shitty car? No."

They laughed and Bonnie continued the drive to the mall. She wasn't really up for it, but it looked like Caroline could really use a day out. She was only relieved that Caroline had only been scratched up the last night and that her and Matt were ok. Other than that, Bonnie couldn't help but to be a little disappointed that she didn't learn anything useful.

Bonnie looked over and noticed that Caroline kept glaring at her phone. "Why are you so angry with your cell? No service?"

Caroline shook her head. "No. Matt still hasn't called or texted me yet and I know he always has his phone. I'm just wondering what he's doing…"

Bonnie smiled. "Caroline, he's probably sleeping. He had a long night, had to get up early to give Tyler a ride. I'd need a nap too."

"I guess," Caroline complained.

"So you'll never guess who showed up at my house the other day," Caroline started in after a moment of silence.

"Who?"

"Stefan and he was a bit of a creeper if you ask me. He kept looking around like he was trying to sniff out who broke into my house or something. And I don't think I ever heard him ask me so many questions before, it was like…"

"Wait. Broke into your house? What do you mean?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that my house was broken into while we were all out. But nothing important was taken and no one was hurt. I guess I just forgot to mention it," Caroline said shrugging her shoulders.

"Weird…" Bonnie replied. "So what did Stefan want anyways?"

"I guess he wanted to talk to my mom about something. I don't know. Is he still ok with Elena?" she asked as she rummaged through her purse for chapstick. "I mean, I half expected him to be with Elena since everything that's gone down, you know?"

"They're fine…" Bonnie said hesitantly. "But you and Matt aren't together 24-7 and you guys are fine, right?"

"Yeah…but Bonnie, are you not telling me something?" Caroline suddenly said.

"What is there not to tell you?"

"I feel like you're like, hiding something from me. I don't know," Caroline said shaking her head.

"There's nothing, Caroline," Bonnie reassured her. "And stop glaring at your phone like that, you're going to burn holes through it."

"Sorry, sorry. Force of habit," Caroline said sighing.

Bonnie thought for a moment and then made a u-turn. Caroline grasped the seat as the turned and looked at Bonnie. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to swing by Matt's house so you can find out for yourself what he's doing. Otherwise you're going to drive me nuts the whole time," Bonnie said with a little laugh. But in all honesty, she was getting a bit worried too. Not to mention she really didn't want to go to the mall.

"Ok. But we're still going shopping once I yell at him," Caroline said smiling.

"Definitely," Bonnie replied enthusiastically as she internally grimaced.

* * *

"What did you do to Matt?" Elena asked both nervous and angry.

"Oh nothing….yet…" Katherine said with a gleam in her eyes. "So what do you say? Come with me and I promise Matt will go safe and….I won't try to kill you. I just want to chat."

Elena swallowed back the lump in her throat and thought it over. "I don't even know if you're telling me the truth right now. For all I know, Matt's fine and you're just playing games."

Katherine smiled and dug around in her purse. "I love modern technology," she muttered as she found what she was looking for. She came out with a digital camera and turned it on.

"Oh, Matt is fine for now. See for yourself," Katherine said, holding the camera out.

Elena snatched it fast and looked at the picture. She was both scared and relieved to see it. Relieved in that it was Matt and he was apparently unharmed and unconscious, but scared that Katherine indeed had Matt.

"How can I trust you when you could just kill us both?" Elena said angrily fighting back the tears she felt prickling in her eyes.

Katherine cocked her head to the side and thought it over for a minute. "Sweetie, what other choice do you have but to trust me right now? The ball's in my court and you can either play, or watch other's get hurt in your stead. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think my boys would like it if I killed you before I win them over."

"Fine," Elena decided, thinking that if it meant the possibility of Katherine halting her tirade against her friends, it would be worth it. "Let me just leave a note so they don't get suspicious," Elena said turning to go to the kitchen.

"I'll count to 30. But leave your phone here," she said pointing to the floor. "I wouldn't want you to alert anyone…and I can hear you if you use another phone."

Elena glared at her, but did what she wanted and rushed into the kitchen.

Thinking fast, Elena took the bracelet out of her pocket and threw it around her ankle, tucking it under her pant leg.

"Tick tock, Elena," Katherine's voice rang from outside. "Oh, and I'm going to want to see that note before we leave."

Elena thought fast and took out two pieces of paper. But knowing she was short on time, she only wrote two words on one piece and shoved it on top of the coffee container on the counter. As a final thought, she grabbed one of the wooden mixing spoons from the drawer and shoved it up her sleeve.

As she finished writing the note, Katherine yelled out. "Time. Now get in here before I change my mind and have Matt's heart for dinner."

Elena ran to the front door and thrust the note at Katherine.

"Dear Jeremy and Stefan, ran to the store to buy coffee and milk. You know how Jenna loves her coffee. Be back soon. Love, Elena…..Sweet," Katherine said, reading out her letter. "Leave it on that table, give me your cellphone, and let's be on our way."

Elena nodded her head, already getting the feeling like she was going to regret going with her.

She paused at the door, hesitant to step outside. She knew once she did, she would be in Katherine's grasp. The only thing that kept her almost hopeful that Katherine would be good on her word was the fact that she, at this point in the game for Katherine, was more valuable alive than dead. Katherine would have no hope of winning either of them, well at least Stefan for sure she knew, if she was murdered.

Katherine smiled pointedly, aware that she knew she held the upper hand. "I don't think you need an invitation to leave your house," she said standing back and allowing her room to get out.

Elena took a deep breath and stepped outside, reaching behind her to close the door.

"Don't forget to lock it," Katherine said seriously. "You are running out to the store after all."

Elena dug in her pocket and pulled out her keys. Turning her back, she retrieved the key and turned until she heard the tumblers lock into place.

"Finally," she heard Katherine exclaim moments before her head was knocked painfully against the front door and darkness greeted her.

**I love getting back on track and getting the action rolling again! ****Anyways, hope you enjoy and Review! Cheers.**


	8. Fake It

Damon was wasted and lying on his bed, contemplating finding some girl to bring home: he could use a meal and some fun. All he needed was some girls to dance to the music that was blaring from the speakers, which was Seether, but it required moving and leaving and he didn't feel up to it just yet. Instead, he laid there and started replaying memories he had stored away of Katherine. What killed him the most that for the most part, they were happy ones.

They were ones where he thought he was the only one she cared about; the days they would spend wandering through fields; nights of passion with wine and love. The memories all carried the overwhelming feeling that she loved him and that they would be together forever.

Still lying on the bed, he grabbed the empty bottle next to him and threw it across the room and smiled as he heard it break in pieces on the floor. "Even when I knew she was with Stefan too, I still wanted her…so pathetic" he groaned out loud.

He knew she had her flaws of being a bit heartless when the time came for it and being selfish, but now? He didn't know what changed to make her like this…or if she never really did change and had always been this ruthless.

Closing his eyes, he remembered the last kiss he shared with her when he thought it was Elena. And surprisingly, when he stopped to just remember that moment, he was fueled by anger. Because in that moment, it wasn't Katherine he was thinking about; it was Elena. It was getting harder to deny that he truly had feelings for her. Katherine being in town doing her best to screw with everyone didn't help his feelings any more, either.

At that point, he couldn't help but to smile at the thought of Elena and how she was indeed the opposite of Katherine. She was unselfish, kind, and willing to sacrifice her happiness for everyone else's. Not to mention that even though she was beautiful, she didn't go around town parading the fact.

"She's with Stefan," he said shaking his head and coming out of his reverie. "I'm not going through that again. History won't repeat itself," he said determined.

As he sat there in his stupor the song ended, the lyrics appropriately ending ..._you're such a fucking hypocrite... _At that point, he heard his phone go off alerting him he had a text. He looked from the bed to the table and back again. "Ugh. Why can't I have sweet mind powers," he said as he lazily waved his arms as if willing the phone to come to him. He chuckled at his own stupidity and got up to go to the desk. Shutting off the steroe first, he clicked it off and was about to pick up his phone when the doorbell rang.

"Damn I'm just popular today," he said abandoning his phone and heading downstairs.

He opened the door and put on what he hoped was a sober face. "Sheriff Forbes? You're always running around aren't you?"

She sighed and nodded her head in agreement. "I've been traveling around town all day, actually. If you have some time, I'd like to update you on the council meeting and everything that I've found out since then."

"Anything for you, Liz. What do you got?" Damon said with forced friendliness as he waved her into the house.

"Thanks, Damon. But before I start, is there anything new you've found out?" she asked hopefully.

Damon thought it over a moment and nodded his head. "Well, I actually do…like how to kill werewolves," he said smiling at the surprised look in her face. "But let me hear your side so I'm not repeating anything you already know."

She looked like she'd rather hear Damon's news first, but she decided he was right. "I'll start with the council…and maybe a bit before that too."

"You had another meeting before the council meeting?" Damon asked.

"No…I'm referring to what happened at the Lockwood manor," she slowly. "Might as well sit down, it's going to take a while."

Internally groaning, Damon smiled and reluctantly took a seat. "All ears, Liz."

* * *

Tyler and Chloe approached the doors to the morgue and peered in to see if anyone was inside. To his extreme relief, he saw no one inside.

"There's no one in there, but I don't know if that's a good thing or not," Tyler told Rio, who was watching out in the halls. "It might mean that there's a shift change or something."

"Or it might mean no one really needs to be here all the time tending to the dead when there are living to deal with," Rio commented. "If we're going to do this, do it now, Chloe."

"Tyler. You wait out here in the hall and keep watch. Stall if anyone comes-knock em out, anything. Just make sure they don't' come in," he warned.

"I thought I was going to come in too," Tyler protested. A part of him felt relieved that he didn't have to see her, but the other part really wanted to see if it brought on any memories and brought on some sort of closure.

"I think it's best you wait outside…" Rio said sternly. "If possible, warn us ahead of time if something happens." And with that, he and Chloe went through the doors, leaving Tyler in the hall.

A million things raced through Tyler's mind, from fear to hope to anger to sadness. He couldn't decide which to settle on. He was also torn between watching the window to the morgue and to watching the hall. He looked around for a moment and had a moment of panic when he thought he saw someone-a flash of someone's shirt or something to that extent-but his heart calmed when he noticed no one was there. Besides, he thought to himself, the movement was close to the ceiling. He had to be crazy to notice something there.

He decided the best thing to do was to position himself sideways so that he could glance in the room and see the hall at the same time. He was just thankful he only had one way to look or he'd be stuck looking both ways.

Once he was sure the hall was clear, he glanced into the room and saw Chloe and Rio opening one of the small metal doors on the wall that held the bodies. They slowly opened the door and drew the steel tray that held a black body bag out into the open.

Almost sensing the tension and nervousness, Tyler held his breath, quickly glancing down the hall again and into the room. He saw Rio slowly opening the black bag. Tyler's heart stopped as he waited to glance upon his mother. The distance was far, but he could still make out the beginning's of his mom's head peeking out of the bag.

Suddenly, Chloe left the table, moved to the side, and began taking off her shirt. "What's she doing?" Tyler thought curiously. But then he figured it out as she began to strip more and he looked away. "She's going to transform and she'll need her clothes to leave the hospital."

Tyler gave her what he thought was enough time as he periodically checked the halls for movement. In his opinion, the morgue was in the perfect spot—the dead end of the hospital. He wasn't sure if enough time had passed, but he figured it out soon enough when he heard a weird ripping sound followed by a slight scratching noise.

He whipped his head to give his full attention to the room and was greeted to the sight of a terrifyingly large, yet beautiful, white wolf with brownish reddish streaks. If he was anyone else standing here, he would have thought that she was going to eat or attack the people in that room with the fierceness in her gaze.

"You focused, Chloe?" he heard Rio ask quietly. He was still standing near the body bag, but this time it was completely open and Tyler could see the extent of the damage. He clamped his hand over his mouth to keep from crying out and tried hard to control his trembling.

* * *

"See Caroline, I told you Matt was home," Bonnie said nodding to Matt's car parked in the driveway.

"Just because his car is here, Bonnie, it doesn't mean he's home. He could be like, running or something," Caroline ended lamely.

"Whatever. Let's ring the bell and see what's up," Bonnie said marching to the front door.

They rang the bell and waited. Caroline, getting impatient, rang the bell a few more times until Bonnie slapped her arm. "Patient much?" Bonnie said smiling.

Caroline was about to reply when the door opened, revealing a tousled hair and sleepy eyed Matt. "Where's the fire?" he grumbled.

"Told you so," Bonnie whispered to Caroline.

Caroline glared at her a second before turning to Matt. "You were sleeping this whole time!" she said suspiciously.

Matt looked at her like she was crazy and looked to Bonnie for support, but she raised her brows and backed up. "What else does it look like I was doing? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. But I was worried about you," Caroline finally admitted. "I've totally been messaging and calling you all day and didn't hear anything back. And we both know your phone is like, attached to your hip."

"Did you forget that I kind of sleep like the dead, Caroline? A fire alarm could go off and I still wouldn't wake up. I was exhausted," he said itching his head.

"Give the guy a break, Caroline," Bonnie said. "And next time don't get all paranoid."

"I wasn't paranoid. It's just weird for him to not respond," she said shaking her head. "Well, I'll let you go back to sleep then," she said turning around.

"Don't be like that Caroline," Matt said shaking his head. "Listen, if you're not up to anything, we can catch dinner later."

"Me and Bonnie have a mall date…" Caroline started, but her eyes softened and she went over to give Matt a hug. "But dinner sounds nice."

Bonnie shook her head in disbelief at Caroline's random mood swings.

"Great. Well, I'm going to shower and hang around here. So don't freak out if I don't answer. My phone isn't water proof," Matt teased.

"I'm not going to freak out. I so don't freak out," she said crossing her arms.

"You so do," Matt said mocking her and garnering a light slap from Caroline, "But it's cute. Go have fun with Bonnie."

"You sure you're still up for it?" Bonnie asked, hoping that Caroline changed her mind.

"I'm all for it!" Caroline said giving Matt a kiss goodbye.

They were about to leave when Bonnie remembered something. "Wait, Matt. I have a random favor to ask?"

Caroline looked at Bonnie in surprise as did Matt, but he didn't mind. "As long as it's not me fixing your car or something…" he said jokingly.

"Nothing like that. Listen, I just learned that Elena lost her phone and got a new number. She hasn't texted it to me yet and I haven't seen her recently. You wouldn't happen to have her number, would you?" she asked, trying to be sneaky about it.

"I didn't know that," Caroline muttered.

"Actually, yeah. I do have a new number for her. Hold on," he said turning his back and heading into the house.

"Why would Elena call Matt and not us?" Caroline asked suspiciously. "And why didn't you ask me first? Am I missing something here?"

"Caroline. You're being paranoid again. I just figured I'd ask him while we were here," she said. "Do you have her number, then?" she asked, but Caroline shook her head.

Caroline still looked suspicious as Matt came outside with his phone, scrolling through his call log. "Tyler called from the hospital using Elena's phone. So I have her number," he explained, not noticing Caroline's face lighten as she heard the reason.

He read out the number to Bonnie and she typed it in her phone. "Thanks so much, Matt. But from what I know, she said it was temporary until she found her phone. It's like a prepaid so it's only in case of emergency. So I would just ignore it for now."

"Why did you need the number then if it's only for emergencies?" Caroline asked.

"It's still good to have. Besides, what if we have a fashion emergency," she said jokingly, trying to calm Caroline down. "Thanks again Matt and I'll see you around."

Caroline rolled her eyes, but laughed at Bonnie's comment. "Bye," she said kissing Matt and getting into Bonnie's car.

**I know, I'm keeping you in Elena/Katherine suspense, lol. But there are other things at play here. Oh and the title is named after the Seether song "Fake It" because I could just imagine Damon rockign to it, and some of the lyrics work for him. Anyways, enjoy and review! Cheers!**


	9. Sneaky, Sneaky

**A/N: Random but, was anyone else disappointed by the season 2 trailer? There was nothing new to show, just the same old….sigh. Anyways, here's the chapter.**

Elena started to come to slowly, aware of the slight throbbing in her head and the pain in her neck she had since her last encounter with Katherine—which was strangely aching a lot more now. Her eyes snapped open and it took her a moment to realize that she was lying down in a car: her car. Before she made any more movement, she brought her hand to her neck and sure enough, her fingers came back red. She gasped and was about to sit up when Katherine's voice came from the front.

"I wouldn't sit up yet, unless you want to vomit all over your car…," she said snarkily. "And I got a little hungry….getting hurt like I did can be a bit draining, so I returned the favor."

Elena ignored Katherine's warning and sat up, looking out the window. She had to put her hand against the door handle to steady herself and will the nausea down. She'd lost blood twice that day and not to mention her head had a major battle being either injured or pummeled by her house. She was lucky not to be in a coma. The most she could do was will herself awake and un-puking.

She took deep breaths as she looked around and noticed Katherine watching her curiously from the mirror.

"Where are we?" Elena asked after the wave passed.

"All you need to know is that we're a bit outside Mystic Falls. Not too far, though. You haven't been unconscious for that long," Katherine replied, smirking.

"No, no, no. I agreed to go with you but only if you let Matt go. So unless he's out of town to, we have to go back," Elena said angrily.

"Or what? You'll stab me with that ridiculous spoon you stowed in your sleeve?" Katherine said sarcastically.

Elena blushed and felt her arm and sure enough, it was gone. She cursed herself for not hiding it somewhere safer. But she recovered herself and stared at Katherine's eyes in the mirror defiantly. "We go back to Mystic Falls now and let Matt go!"

A stony silence greeted Elena's demand as Katherine continued driving. Finally, she gave Elena a calculated look and sighed.

"I do this only to humor myself, and not you," Katherine said as she took one hand off the wheel to rummage in her purse. She came out with her camera and passed it to Elena. "Turn it on and go through the pictures yourself."

Elena scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and turned it on. For a second, she was scared to look at the pictures because she didn't know if it would be ones of Matt hurt or worse, dead. Shoving the ideas to the side, she turned the camera preview mode on and looked.

"This is the same picture you showed me at my house," Elena said confused.

"Move them along, Sherlock…" Katherine replied impatiently.

Scrolling through, Elena looked at the pictures and she closed her eyes in frustration.

"Poor Matt was sleeping when I came to visit and I couldn't get in the house, could I? So I took some pictures of him through the open window. I'm half surprised you didn't notice he was on a couch," she said with a chuckle. "I would have figured you'd want other proof, a phone call. Something. But lucky for me, you didn't think that far ahead."

"Matt was safe all along…" Elena said slowly. She felt huge relief that he was safe, but on the other hand, now she was feeling dread in the pit of her stomach. Katherine had her where she wanted now and it was a no holds bar on whether Elena lived or died.

"Like I said, Elena. I win either way," Katherine laughed as she took in Elena's expression.

Elena closed her eyes and put her head in between her knees to try to rid herself of the second oncoming wave of nausea that had nothing to do with her injuries. "Relax. I told you I wouldn't kill you yet," Katherine said in a mock effort in making Elena feel better.

Elena ignored her and went through her situation and the options she might have. She didn't have her cellphone, so that left her without a way to call for help. She could only hope that Stefan found the note she left in the kitchen and found her somehow. She also knew that she was outside of town, lessening her chances of being found.

"If only I had a weapon," she thought miserably, gazing around discreetly from her crouched position. Unfortunately, she had nothing useful in her car. Then she remembered that she had at least one weapon. Maybe one that would give her enough time to distract Katherine…

She hoped that Katherine assumed she passed out and wouldn't pay attention to her yet. She slowly reached down to her ankle and starting to undo the knot of Jeremy's bracelet. She then stretched it out the farthest it would go and had it ready in both her hands. Squeezing her eyes and preparing herself, she raised herself slowly, feigning waking up from passing out.

"Almost thought I'd killed you for a second," Katherine said, almost sounding disappointed that she hadn't succeeded.

Elena had the bracelet ready, intending to reach over her and put it around her neck when she felt the car leave pavement and hit rockier ground.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked nervously, abandoning her plan for the moment.

"You'll see. We'll be there in a minute," Katherine said as she looked intently ahead.

"Now or never," Elena thought and as fast as she could, brought the bracelet around Katherine's neck.

* * *

After discussing everything they both knew on the werewolf situation, Sheriff Forbes seemed a bit relieved, if not hopeful. At least that's what Damon assumed when he saw she didn't look as stressed.

"We'll get them Liz, and don't worry, you did the right thing. Stop beating yourself up about it," Damon told her in response to what happened to Mrs. Lockwood. "Otherwise we'd have more wolves running around."

"That's the only idea that gets me through…Thanks again, Damon. When I call another council meeting to discuss the new information, can you be there?" she asked as they walked outside.

"Let's play it by ear," Damon said, eager for her to leave. "But before I forget, are you going to let what's his face take the mayor's spot on the council?"

"Rio…I don't like the idea. It would be like having an enemy spy within and we can't have that," Liz said shaking her head.

"No, we wouldn't want that," Damon said grinning. "Do you think he'll put up a fight? After all he is a founding family member."

Liz sighed. "I'll tell him that he has to be of certain age to become a member. Something. But I don't think he would have anything useful to add to the council by being in it," she said seriously.

"Fair enough," Damon replied. Alright, get out of here and stop driving around all day. But keep me posted on anything else that happens."

"Ok. Take it easy, Damon," she said with a nod and headed to her car.

Damon forced a smile and shut the door, dropping the look almost immediately. "About time…"he grumbled as he walked into the living room and grabbed another bottle of whiskey to bring to his room.

He walked into his room still taking a swig and stopped. "Too quiet," he said loudly as he walked over to the stereo to blast some music. On his way, he glanced at the desk and he remembered that he had gotten a text.

"Maybe it's a secret admirer," he said as he reached for it. "Nope. Just a secret admirer of gerbils," Damon muttered as he saw the screen said Stefan. He read the message and sighed. The thought of seeing Elena was tempting considering what kind of mood he was in, but he pushed that thought aside and got angry.

"Why do I have to miss the action to babysit his girlfriend who's inside a protected house anyways," Damon said aloud. Then he hit reply and typed angrily **How about you leave the hard work to the real vampire and you go cuddle with your girlfriend. See you soon. **He pressed send and laughed.

Taking one long, final swig out of the bottle, Damon threw his leather jacket on and stormed out of the house.

* * *

Stefan held his breath as he listened in for things beneath him. Earlier, he had gone in through one of the ceiling grates so he could get to the right room. He peeked out too early, however, almost getting caught by Tyler. After that, he knew where to go and crawled over to the next room, careful not to make any noise.

Gingerly, Stefan moved the ceiling tile just and inch so that he could get a peek at the room below. He was surprised to see that he was actually right above where they were standing. The body bag was out and was unzipped. Stefan shook his head sadly as he saw the claw and bite marks along Mrs. Lockwood's body. But what was odd to him was one mark in particular near her heart. With his keen eyes, he could tell that the particular room didn't look like a claw swipe, but a deep stab.

As if Rio could see the same thing, he moved as if to touch the same wound, but his hand hovered over it instead and he looked over to Chloe and nodded.

She began undressing and Stefan looked away, embarrassed and soon he heard the ripping's and beginning of what had to be her transforming. After a moment he heard Rio speak.

"You focused, Chloe?" he asked as a giant wolf approached the table making loud huffing noises.

Stefan looked on intrigued. He had yet to seen a werewolf and he found it both menacing and beautiful. He looked on and saw the face go from wild, angry wolf to almost a calm human mask of concern.

Chloe nodded her giant head and approached the table, taking a long sniff and inhaling. The eyes closed as she either processed the scent or was thinking something else. Stefan couldn't be sure. He didn't even know why they were there in the first place now that obviously she appeared to be dead.

"Do you have the scent, Chloe?" Rio asked curiously, if not nervously.

At that moment, her eyes popped open and she looked over at Rio and snarled, exposing her teeth and making moves to attack.

"Chloe. Easy, easy. Remember where you are. What you are doing. Who you are..." Rio said calmly as she still approached him. She made a small swipe at him with her paw, but he jumped out of the way just in time. "Chloe…" he said starting again.

Seconds later, Tyler burst into the room taking in the scene around him, his eyes widening as he took in Chloe. "It's your brother Tyler," he said nervously, looking from her to Rio, who was shaking his head angrily at him. "And you need to transform. They made some announcement on the speakers about some drill, which means the doctors here have no choice but to come back….It's important."

"Stupid," Rio snarled at Tyler. "You want your head ripped off?" but he looked at Chloe hopefully to see if Tyler's speech had worked.

She let out a small howl and backed away to the corner, seeming to shrink in size. Stefan took that as a sign that she was transforming back. His suspicion was rewarded when he heard her starting to talk again.

"You have some explaining to do," she hissed angrily at Rio and jabbing her finger into his chest.

"What are you talking about?" he asked confused.

"Bullshit, Rio. Your scent is all over her..." she said breathing heavily in anger. "Are you the one who killed…."

But her speech was interrupted when from above their heads, a small electronic chirping sound went off. All three heads shot up to the grate where Stefan was crouched watching and cursing himself for not shutting his phone.

**I know, two cliffies—bad, bad writer, lol. Just as a side note, I think in the show Jeremy's bracelet was like a hemp bracelet or something? So I figured those always have a lot of give and being a guy, it would be a bit bigger, hence it could go around a neck. Just technical stuff. Anyways, enjoy and review! Cheers.**


	10. Bad Moon Rising

Jeremy found Jenna and Alaric easily enough. They were sitting in the release area where it looked like Alaric was squinting over some papers.

"Jenna," Jeremy called over happily, relieved to see her out of the bed.

Hearing Jeremy, Jenna got up and rushed over to him to give him a hug. "It's so good to see you and be able to hug you standing up!" she said happily.

"Likewise, Jenna. How are you feeling by the way?" he asked.

"Good. I'm just relieved to be up and about and able to go home. I feel bad for Rick though," she said pointing over to him. "Poor guy broke his arm going down the stairs….But at least he gets to go home the same day."

"He's very lucky," Jeremy said nodding his head. "Is he ok? He looks a bit out of it?"

"High as a kite," Jenna said rolling her eyes. "I would be too if I broke a bone. That's why I asked if you could give us both a ride."

"No problem. He's staying at our place, right?" Jeremy asked, thinking of everything else that was going on.

"I didn't think that far ahead, but I guess he could stay in the guest room. That's where John stayed when…" but she stopped and changed the subject. "Why don't we ask him what he wants to do?"

"Actually, Jenna can I talk to him a sec in private? I have a question to ask him," Jeremy said, glancing down the hall to see if Stefan was coming.

"Sure," Jenna said questioningly, "I'll just get a coffee then and be back. You want?"

"Yeah, actually. That would be great," Jeremy said smiling.

"Alright, be back in a few."

Jeremy walked over to Alaric and sat down next to him, startling him out of his concentrated stare of the paper.

"Hey, Mr. Saltzman. Look, me and Stefan are both here," Jeremy said talking quick, not sure how much time he had before Jenna got back. "But he's off following Tyler because he thinks something's up."

Rick furrowed his brows in confusion. "What does he think is going on?"

"Well, Tyler and his brother and sister were heading to the morgue, but we weren't sure why. Stefan thought that maybe they were checking to see if the mother was alive and transformed or…" but Rick cut him off.

"No, he's got it wrong," Alaric said slowly, still under the influence of the pills. Looking around all paranoid, he leaned into Jeremy and signaled for him to get closer. "From what I've read, werewolves are most vulnerable as humans. If the mother was killed, she's not coming back."

Jeremy took it in and shook his head. "Then why do you think they are here?"

Alaric blew air out of his lips and leaned back in the chair. "Your guess is as good as mine."

A minute later, an announcement came on the speakers telling the doctors and nurses to go their stations for some hospital drill. Jenna rounded the corner as the message ended, precariously carrying three cups of coffee.

"Oh before I forget, do you want to stay at our house tonight till you're not, you know, cracked out?" Jeremy said smiling.

"Jeremy," Alaric said in mock seriousness, "You are talking to a learned member of the education department and we do not get cracked out….we simply get high," he ended with a laugh. "But your house sounds like a plan."

"Glad to hear it," Jenna said as she arrived at the end of the conversation. "Are we all ready to leave, then?"

"Umm," Jeremy said looking around. "I don't know if…"

"Ready to go?" Stefan said from Jeremy's other side, startling him. Jeremy stared at him in confusion, but Stefan shook his head, looking anxious and ready to leave.

* * *

"That sounded like a phone," Tyler said suspiciously, glancing up at the ceiling.

"Someone's here," Rio said angrily, noticing the grate slightly opened.

They looked closely trying to catch movement or hear anything, but nothing happened.

"I'd love to know what just happened," Chloe said, still looking angry, "but Tyler said that people are on their way. Let's not be found in here over mom's body, ok."

With that, Chloe began zipping up the bag. Reluctantly, Rio took his gaze from the ceiling and began to help. Tyler on the other hand, was still watching the ceiling trying to see something. "Who would be up there?" he thought to himself before another thought hit him.

"Shit. Guys, I'm going out in the hall to keep watch again," Tyler said hurriedly as he ran to the doors, but his timing was off as a doctor appeared in the window, starting to move the handle.

Tyler gave Chloe a frantic look and she and Rio hurriedly stowed the tray and shut the door.

"What are you guys doing in here?" the doctor asked suspiciously.

Before anyone could speak, Rio piped in. "My name is Rio Lockwood and we came here to identify my mother's body," Rio said sternly.

The doctor looked him over, still suspicious, but now confused. "I wasn't told that someone needed to id it. That's already been established."

"By whom?" Rio asked.

"The sheriff on the scene," the doctor responded. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss, but you can't be here. You can make arrangements with the funeral parlor and you can see her then."

"Thank you for your help," Chloe chimed in. "Let's go home," she said, motioning at Tyler and Rio.

Once they were safely outside the doors and walking in the hallway, Rio began to talk.

"We need to figure out who was spying on us and why," he said angrily. "Any ideas, Tyler? You're the one more familiar with its people."

But Tyler didn't respond. All he could think about now that they were safely way was what Chloe had said. "Did you kill mom?" Tyler suddenly asked, stopping in his tracks.

"Now is not the time to talk about what happened," Rio said, quickening his steps as they headed for the back doors.

"Oh, I'm sorry. When would be a better time to discuss if I'm talking to a murderer right now," Tyler snapped angrily, hurrying to keep pace.

"Watch your temper and lower your voice," Rio said angrily.

"I'd like to hear an explanation as well, Rio," Chloe said quietly.

Rio turned to look at her, "I will explain everything, but not now…"

They reached the parking lot and headed to the car. Tyler stopped and shook his head. "I can't get in that car with you, Rio."

"Fine. Walk home, then," Rio hissed.

"I think you should either start explaining, or you can walk home too," Chloe said decidedly.

Rio stared at her in surprise. "Really, Chloe?"

"I think taking a walk would be best," Tyler said pointedly at Rio.

"Walking is always a good thing," a voice said from the parking lot.

Tyler squinted to see where the voice came from when he saw Damon walking hurriedly toward them. "Funny running into you again," Damon said with a smile. "Nice day for a stroll at the hospital isn't it?"

* * *

Katherine screamed as the vervain burned her neck. Taking her hands off the wheel, she tried to yank it off, but Elena held it on tight. The car started veering to the side towards the trees as the girls struggled. Before they hit the trees, Katherine reached back and shoved her fingers in Elena's neck where she had bit her earlier

Elena cried out and reeled back long enough for Katherine to take control, grabbing the dangling bracelet and tossing it out the window. Quickly, she stopped the car from ramming into the trees—it bumped the tree slightly as it came to a stop. Taking the chance, Elena hurried out of the car and started running, looking around the forest floor for broken branches or anything sharp. Seeing one, she grabbed it and picked it up and continued running to where she thought houses could be. She almost cried out in relief as she saw one coming up on the hill, but it was short lived as Katherine appeared out of nowhere a few steps ahead of her.

"You're an impossible bitch, you know that?" Katherine huffed at her as she rubbed her neck where a large burn mark was scored across like a choker.

Elena panted and stared at Katherine, brandishing the branch in front of her like a weapon. "I'm not going to let you kill me or use me to bait others, Katherine."

"Well judging by how you look, you may just do that yourself," Katherine said pointing to Elena's neck. "You've lost a lot of blood from me today, not to mention I just opened the wounds back up in the car…how much running or fighting do you expect to do?"

Elena didn't dare lower her branch to check out her neck. She already knew she was exhausted, but she wasn't going to let it on to Katherine. "I'll manage just fine…"

"Well then, before you die of stupidity, can I have that little chat that I've wanted this whole time? I mean, we are at the place I wanted to be after all," she said motioning to the house.

"What are you playing at Katherine, I mean really? Elena asked exasperated.

"We talk, you find out. Just put the branch down. Besides, you really think you're going to lunge at me with super-fast human speed and do any damage? I repeat, the ball's in my court," Katherine cooed at Elena.

"No deal," Elena said slowly. "I…" but she couldn't finish her sentence before she became dizzy and fell to the side, almost passing out.

Katherine walked over to her and clicked her tongue. "I did warn you. You just don't like hearing things that are the truth, do you…what to do, what to do."

Elena feebly grabbed the branch and swung out, hoping to whack Katherine, but she sidestepped it lazily.

"I have to give you this, you don't give up without a fight," Katherine said shaking her head. "If I didn't hate you so much, we could have been friends. As such…" she said, crouching down to Elena and shoving her to where she would be flat on her back, "we are not and I am not done with you yet."

Katherine put her arm to her lips and bit down. She then extended it over Elena. "Open wide," she snarled.

Elena managed to roll out of the way and forced herself to sit up. "I don't need your help," she said as Katherine tilted her head at her in surprise.

Taking a steadying breath and standing up, Elena took her over shirt off, leaving her in just her cami, and tied it around her neck.

"You wanna talk, then talk…" she snapped at Katherine.

"Don't say I didn't try to help you," Katherine said standing up and staring intently at Elena.

"I'm sure it would be a big help to have vampire blood in my system and have you hold one more thing over my head," Elena said.

"Wising up, I see. Anyways, follow me to that house up there and I'll explain everything," Katherine said walking, clearly not worried of Elena running away.

"And what is this place, exactly?" Elena asked, slowly beginning to follow Katherine.

"I guess you could say this is where it all began. Where I lived the last days of my human life," Katherine said looking at the house with a hint of sadness in them. "This was the original Pearce mansion before I ever came to Mystic Falls all those years ago."

Elena looked at her in shock and then looked up at the house that looked derelict and abandoned. Without saying a word, Katherine began walking toward the house.

"This feels like the beginning to a really bad horror movie," Elena mumbled as she followed Katherine up the front stairs.

**Be ready for some Katherine history coming up :) And please review if you like it. I got like, 4 for the last chapter...Anyways, enjoy. P.S. yes I know I'm on a song title for a title kick, but this song got stuck in my head after I was done writing it, lol. Cheers.**


	11. Visions

"What are you doing here?" Tyler asked angrily, remembering the last time he ran into Damon and what happened.

"I could ask you the same thing? But I guess I don't really care," Damon said looking bored. "But listen. I actually want to talk to you."

"Excuse me, I don't believe we've met," Rio said suspiciously, not liking the tone Damon was taking with Tyler. "I'm Rio, his brother."

"Damon Salvatore. I'm sure you've met my obnoxious younger brother recently," Damon said shrugging his shoulders.

"Why do you need to talk to me?" Tyler asked nervously.

"Well the last time we talked, our conversation ended abruptly, and quite rudely I may add. I just wanted to finish it up," Damon said gesturing toward the hospital. "In private if you don't mind."

"I'm afraid he's unavailable at the moment," Chloe said, butting in. "We're all heading home and I don't feel like hanging around this hospital one second longer."

"Yeah, but I'm not really interested in how you feel," Damon said briskly at Chloe.

"Don't talk to her like that," Tyler snarled at Damon.

"Easy, Tyler," Rio snapped. "We're leaving," he said angrily at Damon and grabbed Tyler by the shoulder and led him to the car.

"Still touchy I see," Damon mumbled as he headed toward the doors. But before he reached them, they opened up, revealing Jeremy, Stefan, Alaric, and Jenna.

They all stopped, surprised to see Damon there—especially Stefan.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" Stefan asked confused.

"Didn't get my text, little brother?" Damon said shaking his head. "Thought you'd be busy elsewhere by now," he said wagging his eyebrows.

"No matter, I just thought I'd drop by and check on the history teacher, but it looks like he's free," Damon said motioning toward Rick.

"Why would you check on Rick?" Jenna asked, being the only one of them confused. "You're not even a student? And how did you even know he was here?

"Well, I know that my brother speaks highly of him and as he was leaving the house to go assist Jeremy in giving you wonderful people a ride, he told me what happened to him. I came to wish him well and see if Stefan needed any help," Damon said, making things up as he went along and smirking at Jenna.

"Ok…"Jenna said slowly. "You just like popping up randomly, don't you?"

"Random is my middle name…anyways, it seems as if everything's under control," he said, turning to Stefan and giving him a look.

"Yeah, we're all set to go. Do you need a ride, too?" Jeremy asked looking around.

"As much as I would love to join you and sing a rendition of the wheels on the bus, I'm actually heading someplace else," Damon said. "But I need to steal my brother away for a minute if you don't mind."

Jeremy nodded and Jenna and Alaric followed him to the car.

"Why aren't you watching Elena?" Stefan hissed as they got out of earshot. "You said you would help me with keeping her safe."

"I didn't promise to just drop everything I was doing at the last minute because you decide to run some errands," Damon replied back coolly. "Next time something big goes down, how about some warning."

"I'm not going to argue with you here, Damon. I'd like to get back and make sure Elena's safe," Stefan said shaking his head and looking worried.

Damon rolled his eyes and started walking away. Before he got far he turned around. "Oh and Stefan, Elena's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

* * *

The front stairs of the house creaked as Elena followed Katherine through the front doors. "Don't you have to be invited in here?" she asked.

"There are no human owners of this house. I don't need one," Katherine murmured looking around. "It's been a long time since I've been in here…"

Elena found it really strange that Katherine actually seemed to show some emotion that was other than hostile. She actually looked nostalgic as she continued to glance around the rooms and drink in the details.

"When was the last time you were here?" Elena asked as she reached out and stroked the dusty banister that led up to a grand staircase that had seen better days.

"When I died," Katherine responded without pause. "I did have quite a life before I changed. I wouldn't say better than the one I have now, but it was fun."

"So this was the house you grew up in?"

"No. I said this was the Pearce mansion…my maiden name was Muriella," Katherine said shaking her head at the shocked look on Elena's face.

"You were married! But you're like, 17," Elena said in surprise.

"You forget that in my time women were getting married as young as 14…" she said. "I find it disgusting these days that they allowed such a thing back then, but then was then and now is now."

"Do Stefan and Damon know that you were married?" Elena asked curiously. "Do they know about this place?"

"The funny thing is no, they don't. I've actually never indulged with anyone where I came from," Katherine said. "You would be the first. Even Emily and Pearl didn't know."

"Then why tell me of all people. I don't understand," Elena said, floored by the fact that no one knew of Katherine's beginnings.

"At the end of the story, you'll understand why," Katherine said with a grin. "Since it'll be a while, let's go in the living room and find you somewhere to sit before you pass out."

"I'm not going to pass out," Elena answered defiantly, but followed Katherine into the next room. She was a tiny bit grateful that she would be able to sit. She wouldn't admit that standing took a lot of effort.

Elena walked in and took in a large room with long, open windows framed by heavily dusted curtains that were drawn to the side. One side of the room held a fireplace complimented by two moldy, moth-eaten arm chairs. In the center of the room were two sofa's in patterns of yellow and blue. The floor itself was all wood, which groaned in protest under Elena's feet as she walked.

"I'd light a fire, but I'm not that considerate," Katherine said as she paced the room, looking at it in the same manner she had the entryway. "And just so you're clear, just because I'm going to tell you my story doesn't mean I care for your well-being. I'm have full intentions of killing you one day," she said with a snarl.

"Likewise," Elena said defensively, brushing off one of the armchairs and sitting in it. She felt a little better that Katherine said one day and not today, but that didn't necessarily mean anything when it came to Katherine.

Slowly, Katherine made her way over to Elena and took a seat across from her in the armchair. For Elena, it felt eerie because here both of them were sitting face to face across two armchairs, a mirror of each other. She guessed it was good that Katherine didn't light a fire because then it would have been really creepy.

Katherine smiled, sensing the same eerie tension Elena felt, but crossed her legs and put her head back on the chair. The dirtiness of it didn't seem to faze her.

Elena was about to ask her a question when Katherine decided to start talking.

"I'm not going to bore you too much with details of my life before marriage. I'm going to tell you the bits and pieces that were important and that led up to the person you see in front of you today," Katherine said smoothly, and then she laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that my story starts the same as my last one," she said with a wink. "It all began with two men…"

* * *

Bonnie looked on distractedly as Caroline tried on her millionth skirt of the day. "How about this one?" she asked Bonnie.

"I liked the blue one better," Bonnie said quickly.

"Yeah, I think I liked that one better too. Are you bored? You so look like you want to bolt from the room," Caroline said commenting on Bonnie's distant look.

"No, of course not. Sorry, I've just been distracted lately and just worried about some things," she said honestly.

"What are you worried about?" Caroline asked confused.

"I don't know, random things I guess. You getting hurt, Elena and her family getting hurt. The wolf attacks…there's just so much going on," Bonnie said sadly.

"Well the important thing is that Elena and I are just fine. And my mom is looking into the wolf thing. She'll take care of it. It's what she does best," Caroline said smiling. "So stop worrying so much and try to have a little fun, alright?"

Bonnie sighed and tried to agree. "You're right…I guess I'll go try on that cute set of capri's over there. They might make my ass look great," she said with a laugh.

"Bonnie, any pair of pants make your ass look great," Caroline said rolling her eyes.

Bonnie grinned and grabbed the pair, heading to the dressing room. She tried them on and admired herself in the mirror. "Nice," she said. Before she took them off, she rifled through her purse, looking for her chap stick. Her hands grazed over a pair of earrings left in there when suddenly her vision dimmed and an image hit her.

"_I'm here to make sure history doesn't repeat itself," came Katherine's voice in the vision, her fangs extracted._

_Elena looked on alarmed, and backed away from the dusty room she was in. "It won't," she replied carefully._

"_That's why I'm here," Katherine said with a smile. "And now you know why I brought you here," she said walking closer._

The vision ended and Bonnie slumped against the dressing room stool. "What was that?" Bonnie said gasping. "Elena!" she said in alarm.

Caroline responded from the booth next door, "She here?" she asked in confusion.

Ignoring Caroline, Bonnie dialed Elena's number, worried about what she saw.

"Come on, come on," she said as the phone continued to ring. "Damn it," she said as it went to voicemail.

She tried again by calling the house but again came up at a dead end.

"What are you doing in there, Bonnie? Are the jeans not fitting? I could get you another size," she added helpfully.

"No, it's not that. I just, hold on," she told Caroline as she scrolled through her phone. She didn't really know who else to call. She didn't have Jeremy or Stefan's number for that matter. Then a thought occurred to her. She didn't like it, but it was worth a shot.

Getting out of the capri's, she got dressed in a hurry and bounded out of the room, nearly knocking Caroline over.

"What's your deal, Bonnie? You're starting to freak me out here," Caroline said, taking in Bonnie's wide eyes.

"I need to use your phone," she said urgently.

"What's wrong with yours?" Caroline asked as she dug through her purse to find it.

"Nothing. I just need to call someone and you have the number," Bonnie said impatiently.

"And who would that be?" she asked curiously.

Caroline handed Bonnie the phone and immediately she began scrolling through, hoping the number was still in there.

"Damon," she said, both in response to Caroline's question and the relief she felt at seeing the number still there.

**Hope you like the direction I'm going so far. Don't forget to review Please. Cheers.**


	12. Past Mistakes

"Somehow, I'm not surprised that you would have a story that repeats itself with men," Elena said in response.

"Don't all great and tragic stories involve men," Katherine retorted. "It all began when I fell in love with a man named Lucas. He had wavy brown hair, green eyes, and a smile that could make you melt," Katherine said reminiscing. "Not to mention a pocketful of cash."

Elena didn't think Katherine had it in her to actually feel for someone, but at this moment, she seemed almost human. Even the cash comment didn't make her seem fake.

"So cutting to the chase, we fell in love and got married. He bought me this big house here and I got to do with it as I pleased. We had a comfortable life filled with friends, riches, and parties. I thought I had everything I wanted," Katherine said wistfully. "But that all changed when a tall man I didn't know arrived at one of our parties."

Elena listened, intrigued to hear of the mystery guest.

"To me, he looked foreign. His hair was a bit slicked back and he had these dark almond shaped eyes a color I'd never seen. He also had an accent to match my speculation," Katherine said, thinking back.

"What was his name?"

Katherine closed her eyes as if picturing the man and began again. "His name was Klaus and he was from some town in Germany. All I knew was that he was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. He didn't need to ask to be invited in before I whisked him inside….and into my bedroom," Katherine said without embarrassment. "Just because I was a prim and proper girl with a happy marriage, it didn't mean that I didn't have certain needs that weren't always met," Katherine said with a sly grin.

"So you were seeing Klaus at the same time you were married?" Elena said, saying it more of a statement rather than a question.

"He was exciting," she said as if it were explanation enough. " He had seen the world and done some great, interesting things. Not to mention he was a great lover. I didn't know his secret till later, if that's what you were going to ask," Katherine said at the look in Elena's face.

"I was actually going to ask if you were compelled…or at least suspected that you were," Elena asked.

Katherine looked at Elena carefully and thought about it. "I don't really know. I never really put up much resistance, so I can't be sure. Probably, though. But anyways, soon our affair became more heated and we saw each other late every night. He finally even confided in me his true nature and he would drink from me from time to time…I still loved Lucas and gave him my attention during the day, though. I would sneak out after he was asleep to see Klaus," Katherine explained.

"Yet another set of men you couldn't choose between?" Elena couldn't help but to let that thought out. Katherine truly was greedy when it came to men.

Katherine's eyes flared red and the veins popped under her eyes, but seconds later she controlled herself and went back to normal. "Klaus made sure that I didn't have to choose. But if I had, I did have a choice, and it would have been Lucas. Klaus was fun and interesting and sexy. But he wasn't smart and caring like Lucas. He saw me as a pretty human good for sex, blood, and rarely much else. So my choice would have been easy, especially considering what happened later on in the relationships."

"What happened?" Elena asked, now getting really curious.

"Well as I told you, I was still madly in love with Lucas and we still did everything together. We would travel here and there and still throw parties and do random other things. On those days, I wouldn't even see Klaus. It was always exciting to see him again after such a distance, though…Then one day something big happened and Klaus got so angry that it was a long time till I saw him again," Katherine said, her eyes growing dark in anger and sadness.

"What?" Elena whispered.

"Lucas and I were to have our first child," Katherine said with a bitter chuckle.

* * *

"Why are you acting like this?" Stefan said angrily before Damon could walk away. "You said you'd help me and now it's like you can't be bothered. Why, because you're missing the fun action? Grow up."

"I'm really not in the mood right now, Stefan," Damon said getting in his face. "And I'd love to have a go at it right now, but we have witnesses," he said gesturing at Jeremy in the car and then surprisingly at the Lockwoods, who had yet to leave the parking lot.

"Where are you going then so I can talk to you later?" Stefan asked, cooling down.

"Wherever I feel like. I'll keep my phone on, mom," Damon said sarcastically.

Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He rolled his eyes and got it out, looking in surprise at the caller id. "Caroline, you naughty minx, you bored with Mutt?"

"Shut up Damon, this is important," came Bonnie's voice.

Stefan snapped at attention when he heard Bonnie and felt something was seriously wrong.

"Bonnie, what have I told you about stealing other people's phones," Damon said, ignoring her seriousness.

Stefan snatched the phone out of Damon's hand and started talking. "Bonnie, it's Stefan. What's wrong?"

Damon glared at him, but listened in on the conversation.

"Have you heard from Elena? Do you know where she is?" Bonnie asked frantically. "I tried calling her cellphone and the house, but there was no answer…and…."

"And what?" Stefan prompted nervously.

"Well I was at the mall and I was digging through my purse and my hands brushed over a pair of earrings Elena lent me and…I saw…I saw her and Katherine talking somewhere I've never seen and Katherine was all vamped out and Elena looked bloody and….I don't know if it's a future thing or something happening now," she said hurriedly.

"I'm going to her house now," Stefan said, tossing the phone at Damon and running off.

"Call me if you see anything else," Damon said seriously. "I'm going to see if I catch Katherine's scent. For Elena's sake, I hope you just saw a possible future," he said hanging up the phone.

He was about to rush off when Jeremy came running over, looking worried. "Damon, where'd Stefan go. I saw him fly out of here."

Damon looked at him seriously. "He's rushing to your house to see if Elena's there. Meet him there and don't make any stops," he said about to walk away.

"Is she alright?" Jeremy asked, grabbing Damon's arm. "Please, don't shut me out of this."

"I honestly don't know, Jeremy. But I promise you that if she's gone, I will find her and bring her back safe," Damon said earnestly. "But I have to go now to even have a chance."

Jeremy nodded his head and rushed back to his car, starting the ignition and taking off.

Damon hurriedly left, deciding to rush over to Elena's as well so that if Katherine was there, he could try to track her. He arrived there quickly and sure enough, he caught the subtle scent of Katherine in the air. He approached the steps and soon Stefan was out of the house.

"Anything inside?" Damon asked.

"She left two notes," Stefan said worriedly. "One on the table says that she left to go to the store…The other in the kitchen says 'with Katherine'."

"Fuck," Damon said, kicking at the post. "Why the hell would she leave the house."

"Katherine had to have some sort of leverage or Elena wouldn't have left…" Stefan said angrily. "We have to find her."

Damon nodded his head and tried locking on to Katherine's scent, but was surprised to come up with a stronger one of Elena's. Glancing down, he noticed a small trickle of blood on the front door. Stefan followed Damon's gaze and snarled.

"We have to find her now," he said, taking off fast, trying to figure out where Katherine could have taken her. Damon stood there a moment, still staring at the blood.

"I should have just come to the damn house," he growled miserably as he sped off, following the fading trail Katherine left behind.

* * *

"I wonder what's going on with those brothers," Rio said wonderingly as they finally left the parking lot. They were there to see Stefan and Damon get in a small debate and then saw Stefan speed away faster than they'd seen anyone move.

"I don't know, but Damon weirds me out," Tyler said shrugging his shoulders.

"It's Stefan I'm curious about at the moment..." Rio said still thinking of how fast he left.

"I don't give a damn about them right now," Chloe snarled from the driver's seat. "I want you to start talking or so help me, I wolf the hell out and take you down."

Tyler looked at Chloe and sure enough, she looked on edge, like she would attack at any moment.

"Do you need me to drive?" he asked her nervously. But she shook her head, staring at Rio in the rearview mirror.

Rio sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I lied to you Chloe," he said starting his story. "You know how I said that I was going to get something to eat before we got to town….I didn't. I went to see mom."

"What?" Chloe and Tyler said at the same time.

"I wanted to scope out the place before we got there the next day; know what we'd be getting into…so I transformed and went outside to the back of the house and sure enough, mom was in the kitchen with Tyler," Rio said, looking at Tyler.

"We were having an argument about dad and she was drunk," Tyler said, acknowledging that Rio was right in saying where he and his mom were.

"It did look to be a heated conversation, especially when you transformed in front of her eyes after she slapped you," Rio said seriously.

"I already told you that we had fought and what I remembered happening. What else happened from there?" Tyler asked, curious to hear.

"Just be happy I was there," Rio snarled. "You looked like you were about to attack, so I jumped in through the glass doors and knocked you down. You had gotten one swipe in, but that was about it."

Tyler felt a bit relieved, but it was short lived. "Then how did mom…."

"Once I attacked you, you ran off into the woods. I was about to follow you when mom started attacking me with a pan and…" Rio said, hesitating, looking visibly upset. "A part of me wanted to attack back and defend myself, the wolf in me crying to be let out, and I attacked. I admit, I bit her so that I could get her off me…."

"You killed her," Chloe said, sounding near tears. "You…you…"

"No, no no, I stopped and she was still breathing, she was ok. I was about to transform when some guy I didn't know rounded the corner and spotted me, so I ran around the front and ran into that Caroline girl," Rio explained.

"Why the hell would you attack her too?" Tyler asked, confused.

"I guess I was angry for what I'd done. I didn't bite her, I just scratched her. I got hurt more than she did anyway: I was shot at. So I ran away to find you and you attacked me," he said looking at Tyler. "So we fought until suddenly, you transformed back into your human form. You didn't stay wolf long enough to heal, so you were hurt pretty bad."

"How could you abandon mom to die and then leave Tyler too," Chloe said disgusted with Rio.

"You of all people should know how it is to be in wolf form when your emotions aren't in check," Rio snapped at her. "I didn't purposely abandon them…and I didn't kill mom."

"Oh, so some other wolf with an invisible scent killed mom, then?" Chloe said with incredulity.

"No. Mom's killer was a human, and I'm pretty sure I know who it is," Rio said, snarling.

**Hope you like the story so far! Review Please! Cheers.**


	13. Bloody, hell

**A/N: This chapter is a bit graphic with umm, violence, I would say. So squeamish people beware. AND I kinda kept the chapter hostage because I wanted more reviews because I got like, 5. So please review. I'm actually ahead with writing and have 3 more done so far... :) Anyways...enjoy :)

* * *

**Elena's jaw dropped in shock. She kind of knew to expect it since Katherine had mentioned being a great great grandmother or something to the effect, but it was surprising to hear none the less. It also brought back memories of when she and Damon were in Georgia: _that mean's Katherine would have had to have had a kid before she was turned…_ he mentioned as a thought.

"I know, I was surprised, too," Katherine said. "And believe it or not, I actually was excited to be a mother. I always had a maternal extinct…"

Elena couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous that sounded coming from Katherine. She gave Elena a dirty look and continued with her story.

"So I told Klaus I was pregnant and that we'd have to end seeing each other. I couldn't be doing dangerous things with a child on the way. And I couldn't have him drinking my blood and risk hurting the baby…"

"Was he angry? What did he do?" Elena asked cautiously.

"Oh he was pretty angry, but he backed off and said he didn't want anything to do with me anymore since I was, quote, damaged goods…" she said wistfully. "So the nine months passed without incident and then the night before I was to give birth, he came for me again."

"What?" Elena said in surprise.

"I was in such pains toward the end of the pregnancy that I would stay alone in the guest room so that I had a bed to myself. Servants would come on check on me now and then and Lucas rarely left my side. But this night, no one was around and Klaus came in through the window. I still remember his eyes widening as he took in my large state," Katherine said shaking her head. "I was so confused as to why he came, but he said that he had wanted to see me one last time because he was going to be leaving…"

Katherine paused and closed her eyes as she told the next part. "So he talked to me a bit and then…my water broke," she said laughing miserably. "And with the water came the blood…I was about to yell out when all of a sudden, Klaus covered my mouth and bit down on my neck. I guess he didn't have good control over his instincts because of all the blood."

"How could he do that? You were going to have a baby…How.." Elena said floored, surprised that she actually felt pity for Katherine.

"I didn't understand either, but soon I began to feel really faint, like he was taking too much blood. I hit him as hard as I could until finally he realized what he was doing. He pulled away and looked at me, and he almost looked sorry…Then he did something that changed my life," Katherine said quietly.

Elena knew what was coming, but held her breath regardless.

"He fed me his blood, afraid that he was going to kill me. Either that or he had plans for me later. After that, he covered my neck and told me to yell for help, disappearing out the window. I feebly did and reached for the bell by my bed. At this point I was in so much pain. I knew that baby was coming then. Help came soon and everyone crowded around to help, encouraging me to push. Lucas said to call for the doctor, worried about me…Less than an hour later, I gave birth," Katherine said.

"Was it a boy or girl?" Elena asked quietly.

"It was a girl…I saw her for five minutes and got to hold her for less," Katherine said slowly.

"Why didn't' you get to hold her long?"

"Because I died," Katherine said harshly. "I had lost too much blood from both Klaus and the pregnancy. Figures I would have died in child birth, it was common those days…I still always wonder if I would have lived had Klaus not attacked me."

Elena sat there letting the story sink in and suddenly felt really sorry for Katherine even through all the bad things she had done. She still hated her, but she felt a better understanding as to why she was like she was now.

"What happened next?" Elena asked.

Katherine's fangs came out as she angrily spoke next. "I was put in a separate room to prepare for my wake when Lucas came in. And he was surprised to see me alive," Katherine said with a light gleaming in her eyes." He was even more surprised when I attacked him. If only he hadn't cut himself shaving….so many what if's. I couldn't help but to lust for the blood and drain him dry."

"You killed him?" Elena asked in surprise.

"If you knew anything about vampires, it would be that they are unpredictable and when hungry, will go to any lengths to feed. Since I was new, I attacked hungrily…" she said standing up. "I don't think anyone really understood what happened to him. I just knew I couldn't go back. Couldn't go near my child. So I did what I do best…got rid of the evidence," she said seriously. "Making sure no one was around, I brought his body to the kitchen and made a little fire…"

"You could have killed your child setting the place on fire like that!" Elena exclaimed.

"That's why I went into the kitchen. Then, servants quarters were at the front of the house; they got out first," she explained.

"What happened from there?"

"Not relevant anymore," Katherine said with a finality. "I moved on from there and never looked back and vowed I'd never let myself feel anymore; be used like that…it's weak."

"How can you just end it like that there," Elena said in disbelief.

"Because I told you all I care to tell," Katherine snapped. "I said I'd tell you our history and how I came to be. Now you know for a fact that the same blood runs in our veins. And part of the reason I told you and not anyone else….Let's just say I have my own reasons that I won't indulge with you. But have you guessed a running theme in our family?"

Elena shook her head, wondering where she was going.

"Our family seems a bit cursed, and in a bit of a pattern so it seems…I loved two men, had a child, and was turned. Isobel loved two men, had a baby and was turned….Now we come to you who loves two men," Katherine said with a smirk. "But luckily, neither of them can really knock you up, can they?"

"I'm in love with Stefan," Elena clarified. "And I have no plans on turning. Besides, Isobel made her choice. I'm just sorry you didn't get to choose yours."

"Ugh, please don't give me a pity party, there's nothing I detest more," Katherine said, her voice dripping with disdain.

Elena stood up, unclear as to what would happen now that Katherine was done talking. "Why did you come back? Why now?"

"I'm here to make sure history doesn't repeat itself," Katherine's said, her fangs extracting

Elena looked on alarmed, and backed away. "It won't," she replied carefully.

"That's why I'm here," Katherine said with a smile. "And now you know why I brought you here," she said walking closer.

"Just to talk," Elena said sarcastically.

"Well, there is one more thing," Katherine said with a wink. "I need something from you and you can either give it willingly, or I take it by force.

Elena stared at her nervously, her heart racing. "What?"

Katherine laughed sadistically as she got closer to Elena. "There's something I've been working on for some time and it requires many things….I have two more to acquire, and one of them has to be from you," she said and started rummaging around in her purse.

Elena waited with baited breath, wondering what it could possibly be, when Katherine extracted a very sharp looking knife from her bag. "Just a little blood….and a pound of flesh…very Shakespearean, Merchant of Venice, don't you think?" she said with a snarl.

At that, Elena turned around and bolted out of the room, heading for the back of the house. She didn't get far before the house ended and she was in a room where half the house was missing—burned down.

"I told you I started a fire. I guess inferno would have been more appropriate…" Katherine said from in front of her. "I see this will have to be by force."

And before Elena could act, Katherine took the knife and sliced off a piece of Elena's bare shoulder, making a clean sideswipe cut to avoid hitting the bone. Instantly, blood started pouring out, exposing muscles and tendons underneath. Elena screamed out in agony and fell to the ground.

Katherine laughed and retrieved a bag from her purse and put the bloody mess inside. "I've gotten what I wanted, so I'll leave you alone for now…you have no idea the plans I have for you and your friends, this town, my boys…It'll be spectacular,' Katherine said with a fire burning in her eyes. "And now that you know my history, you'll be able to appreciate the pain and misery I will inflict…a killers view, if you will," she said with a chuckle. "Consider yourself lucky."

"Oh yeah, and one more thing," she said, bending down over Elena who was writhing in agony. Grabbing her face so Elena would look her in the eyes. "I want you to know that though Stefan may indeed love you, and even Damon for that matter, remember whose face it reminds them of every night. I always win," she ended with a whisper as she moved away from Elena.

Katherine started to walk away when she remembered something. Digging in her pocket, she tossed Elena her phone and her car keys, telling her she was about 30 miles south of Mystic Falls off route 33. "Have fun," she said as she walked out of the house.

Elena knew she didn't have a lot of time. She forced herself to sit up and take the shirt off from her neck and somehow tie it on to her shoulder. Crying out and almost fainting, she tied it as tight as she could manage to try to slow the blood.

"She used the same shoulder on purpose," she moaned. Once that was done, she grabbed her phone and dialed the first number that came up and prayed he would answer.

* * *

Stefan and Damon had gone separate ways, hoping to catch a lead one way or another, but they came up short—there was no fresh trace of Katherine or Elena to be found. Stefan called Damon on the phone and asked if he had come up with anything.

"No. She must have gotten in the car and driven off…I've got nothing. Where the hell do you think the crazy bitch would go? "he said, still mad at himself for not watching out for Elena.

"I checked the places I thought she would go, like the cemetery or the tomb. I even checked the place she lived out when she was here and came up with nothing," Stefan said frustrated. "I'm at wickery bridge now checking around."

"Bonnie," Damon said suddenly. "We can ask her to do a location spell or some magic thingy, right?"

"She kind of did that in the vision. But she said if she doesn't recognize the place, she doesn't know," Stefan replied.

"How about that crystal over a map thing…"Damon suggested.

"I think that's tv hocus pocus," Stefan said impatiently.

"Charmed…." Damon said trailing off and hitting himself for suggesting it.

"There has to be a way," Stefan muttered. "And….wait, Damon. She's calling." And with that he hung up.

"Shit," Damon said as his line went dead. Instead of waiting for another call, Damon put his phone away and headed toward Stefan, hoping beyond hope that it was Elena on the phone and not Katherine.

It didn't take long until Damon appeared next to Stefan who was listening seriously to the phone. Damon listened in and scrunched his eyes in concern—it was Elena, alright, but she was barely understandable through the sobs that were escaping her mouth.

"Elena ,I know it's hard, but I need you to slow down and repeat again where you are and I will find you. I promise," Stefan said frantically.

The line went silent for a moment as it sounded like Elena was trying to compose herself. "20 miles south…..mystic falls…route….33… " she said with what sounded like effort.

"I'm coming as fast as I can," Stefan replied, starting to run with the phone at his ear. "Just stay with me ok?"

Damon started sprinting next to Stefan, listening at the same time. "I can't, Stefan. I'm going to try to get to my car and get to the main road so you can find me," she said, slowing her sobs so she was understandable.

"No, stay where you are. You don't need to be behind the wheel," Stefan said urgently.

"You won't find me otherwise," she sobbed. "I'll make it there, I just can't hold the phone at the same time…" and with that, she hung up the phone.

"Damn it," Damon uttered, and both brothers doubled their speed hoping that time was on their side.

**Sorry there's only 2 scenes this chapter instead of 3. I didn't want to draw Katherine and Elena out for another chapter. It would have been too much. But the chapter's nice and long, so it's all good. Anyways, hope you find this as intense as I hoped it to be. Reviews are always appreciated. Cheers!**


	14. Pardon Me

**Random note, title is dedicated to the Incubus song of that title because it's how I think Elena feels right about now...lol. Anyways, here's the chapter. **

Elena shut her phone and lay on the ground miserably. As if things couldn't get worse, she heard storm clouds rumbling from far away, darkening the skies around her.

"Get up, Elena. Just move," she whispered to herself. Slowly, she braced her hands on the floor and pushed herself up, almost falling down before steadying herself. She took slow steps moving toward the front of the house. She found walking straight a bit hard as the dizziness started to set in, but she pushed it aside.

She made it back out to the hall where she could see the living room and front door. She willed herself to keep walking. As she was passing the other side of the hall, the room across from the living room caught her attention: the guest bedroom.

"Too bad the bitch didn't just die in there," she said grimly. An interesting thought occurred to her then as she stared in seeing only a bed and nightstand. "I wonder if she kept a journal." If she did, Elena knew there was no way she was going to start searching now. Instead, she kept going, making a note to herself to come back again sometime—if she made it, that was.

As she stepped outside of the house, she felt the first sprinkling of rain. Looking around, she realized that she forgot that they had walked up to the house: the car was a good ways away. She saw it in the distance and wanted to collapse right there on the porch.

Instead, she shook her head, held back the sobs that were threatening to come, and started walking toward the car. She knew she didn't have a chance of being found otherwise. It was slow going and she had to stop several times to steady herself. She felt like her arm was on fire; every nerve ending that was severed screamed at her in protest.

She was halfway to the car when she lost her footing and fell face forward. She screamed as she felt the force of it on her shoulder and twinge of pain throbbing on her neck. At that point, she crawled to her knees and just let it go, crying hysterically.

The rain matched her tears as the sky finally decided to open up. She was about to pull herself together and get moving again when she heard a voice from behind her.

"And who do we have here?" said a male voice, tinted with some accent Elena couldn't place.

Hope flared up in her. "I'm saved," she thought to herself. She didn't think she could stand yet, but she forced herself up and turned around.

He was a tall man with black hair that fell in a curtain around his face, which held dark almond shaped eyes—eyes which were wide with surprise, complete with a mouth that was completely agape.

He cursed in some language she didn't know and he approached her quickly, not taking his eyes off her. "What's your name?" he asked quietly.

Elena got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was something about him that just screamed dangerous. She felt like she should know who he was with the way he was staring at her, but then just like that, she put the pieces together. Dark hair, almond eyes, a look of surprise in his face that yelled that she looked like someone he knew…someone like Katherine.

"You first," she managed to whimper as she trembled. She already knew, but she wanted confirmation.

"Hmm, you've got spunk considering you're bleeding to death…" he said appreciatively. "The name's Klaus….but I'm guessing you know that already by the look on your face."

Elena nodded her head and started to pass out. Klaus caught her and righted her. "Easy, love…"

She forced herself to stay awake and feebly struggled out of his grasp, and he released her. "I'm just going to my car. I'm leaving…please just let me go," she ended lamely. She didn't think she could take anymore.

"Well let me just help you along," he said with a wicked smile as he lifted her off her feet.

"Let me go," she yelled at him fiercely.

"I'm not going to hurt you despite what you might think," he replied in that lilting accent, still looking at her curiously. "I assume since Katherine left you alive, and I know she did, she did so for a reason. And I'll respect that decision," he said as he walked toward the car.

"How did you know Katherine was here?" she asked, struggling.

She tried feebly to hit him with her good arm, but he just laughed and ignored her question. "I like you, you're feisty. But I still don't know your name…why don't you tell me?" he asked, looking at her curiously, his pupils dilating.

"Elena," she replied slowly, staring deep into his eyes.

* * *

The Lockwoods arrived at their home and quietly trudged into the house. They each took a moment to let everything sink in, and then Chloe marched over to Rio and slapped him across the face.

"I don't give a damn that you say it's not your fault mom's dead. What you did regardless was disgusting, irresponsible, cowardly, stupid….." she said going off on a rant.

"Can we yell at him later when we know what the hell is actually going on?" Tyler said, interrupting her. "Then we can beat him up with no objections."

She gave him a dirty look, but plopped down on the couch in a huff.

"How nice of you to be so considerate," Rio said. "Now as I was telling you in the car, mom was killed by a human. By the look of the mark and the placement, it had to be a knife struck through the heart."

"What? Are you saying mom killed herself? Sorry, I don't' see her as the suicidal type…" Chloe said sarcastically.

"Seriously, you're getting on my last nerve here," Rio said starting at her impatiently.

"What are you going to do if I don't cooperate? Bite me? Go ahead. It worked so well for you the last…"

But her speech was cut off when she realized that Rio was shaking, near transforming. "Shit….ok, ok. Calm down. I'll shut up…."

Tyler looked between the two confused. He would have thought he had it under control by now, but by Rio's jerky movements, it looked like he had a ways to go in control.

Slowly, Rio took deep breaths until he wasn't shaking anymore. "No more interruptions if you don't mind?"

Both Tyler and Chloe shook their heads, waiting to hear his opinion.

"If you think about it, who was the first person on the scene?" he asked. "The Sheriff. She's obviously on the council. She saw mom as a threat and took her out," Rio said angrily.

"It couldn't have been Sheriff Forbes. She wouldn't do that. And what's the council?" Tyler asked confused, but Chloe jumped out of her seat.

"It makes sense. I bet mom was in shock and the sheriff she... she probably…" but she stopped talking and hung her head.

"What am I missing here? I know Caroline's mom. She would have gotten her help. She wouldn't have had her killed," Tyler said defending her.

"Oh, the Sheriff's actions would surprise you if you knew, Tyler," Rio said, crossing the room and taking a seat across from Tyler.

"I don't have the time to tell you about everything the council involves, but long story short, it's made up of the founding families and has been around for a long time. It watches over the town protecting it from danger and…supernatural beings, mostly vampires," Rio said with a smirk.

Tyler looked on in surprise. "Vampires. Seriously? You're kidding."

"Werewolves exist. Is it so hard to think vampires do too?" Rio said with raised brows. "Anyways, the sheriff knows to be prepared for the existence of such creatures. So I believe that when she came across mom, she killed her so that she wouldn't either turn or do something else," Rio said seriously. "I find her lack of information on us atrocious."

"Even if she did know all this stuff, what makes you think she would just murder someone like that?" Tyler said, still unconvinced.

"Because I have the paperwork to prove it…and you'll be surprised what else has happened in this town that's been covered up," Rio said, gesturing to a folder on the coffee table.

* * *

Both brothers raced to the boarding house, jumping into Damon's car. As soon as the doors were shut, Damon took off, driving as fast as the accelerator would allow.

"She could be anywhere," Stefan mused, worry etching every line in his face. "Route 33….30 miles south…why there…"

Damon shrugged his shoulders. "Knowing Katherine, she picked some secluded place outside town where it would be harder to track them."

They drove in silence, each of them thinking of possible places or reasons. Neither of them could help thinking of the danger Elena was in at the moment.

"Well it's safe to assume, then, that Bonnie saw correctly…I wonder if she could tell us anymore," Stefan thought aloud. "I need her number."

"Oh yes, it's on my phone under wicked witch of the east… I don't have her number," Damon snapped at Stefan.

"You have Caroline's. Give me your phone," Stefan said, ignoring Damon's attitude.

Damon reached into his leather jacket and pulled it out. Stefan grabbed it and scrolled through the recent call log and called Caroline's phone. "I only hope she and Bonnie are still together."

"Look Damon, just because Bonnie called you up on my phone does not mean you can start harassing me," Caroline responded before Stefan could say a word.

"Hey, Caroline. It's actually Stefan. I'm trying to get a hold of Bonnie and I don't have her number."

"Oh, sorry Stefan. Yeah, Bonnie's driving. What's going on, anyways? She totally flipped out in the store and we rushed out and I have no clue what…hey," she whined as there was a shuffling sound on the phone and suddenly Bonnie was on the phone.

"Stefan, what did you find out?" Bonnie asked fervently.

"You were right. She's with Katherine and she's in trouble. We need help pinpointing where she could be," he said, hinting at Bonnie.

"I don't know if it'll really work. I mean, if she doesn't know where she is, I won't really know either. And I get it from images I see…" she rambled.

"You can't think of anything?" Stefan asked desperately.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I really wish I did know. I'm going to head home now and look through Gram's book and call you if I figure out anything. I'll text you my number."

"Thanks Bonnie," Stefan said as he shut the phone.

"Can't find any good witches these days," Damon muttered as he finally got onto route 33 and rolled the windows down. "I guess we'll have to be like that freakish cereal toucan thingy and follow our nose."

"This isn't the time to joke around, Damon," Stefan said, glowering at him. "Elena could be dead right now and we have no idea where she is…"

"I realize that, Stefan. But getting all mad and broody about it won't change this either. Now seriously, be alert and see if Elena or Katherine's scent pops up," Damon said seriously.

Stefan reluctantly agreed and focused.

"I had a thought, Stefan," Damon finally said as he took a curve faster than he should have. "What if this is just a trap? What if Katherine made the call just to throw us off where they are?"

Stefan stared at him a second to think of the possibility. "I don't know, Damon. She sounded pretty scared and hurt. I don't know if Katherine could pull that off."

"Oh, Katherine's capable of a lot of things these days," Damon responded. "I say we call up Elena, pray she picks up, and ask her a question only she would know the answer to."

"That's assuming she's safe or well enough to answer…I'll call her, but only to see if she can give any more details," Stefan said decidedly. "Elena or not, we still get answers."

"We're still asking a question," Damon mumbled as he kept his eyes trained on the horizon.

**I hope that you didn't think it was too dumb to bring up Klaus already, but there's a reason for him. You'll find out in the next chapter how he came to be there-unless you figure it out already. Anyways, I love writing all this drama and action and cliffies! lol! So enjoy and review and please tell me if the storyline is a little too much, lol. Cheers. AND p.s. 30 FRIGGIN DAYS TILL THE PREMIERE!**


	15. Telephone

"It's very nice to meet you, Elena. Am I correct in assuming you're related to Katherine?" Klaus asked her in the same commanding tone as he hurriedly made it to her car.

"Yes…she's my great great great grandmother. I don't know how many great's," Elena said, still hypnotized.

"Ha…Katherine a grandmother is very amusing…." He replied with a chuckle, leaning Elena against the car so she was standing. She shook her head, Klaus having ended his glance, and she felt anger. She held on to that feeling because it was the only one to override the dizziness and pain that was coursing through her body.

"Why are you here? It can't just be coincidence that she just told me about you today, and poof you pop up," Elena asked, closing her eyes. She didn't want to risk making eye contact with him again.

"She was talking about me was she? I wonder what kind of wonderful things she had to say…but alas, the only reason I came here was because a witch did me a favor a long time ago," he explained.

Elena's eyes snapped open in surprise. She noticed he was still staring at her intently, and she felt really uncomfortable.

"Sorry. You just look exactly like Katherine. It's been a long time since I've seen her," he said. "As such, I had asked a witch to place some sort of ward, charm, call it what you will, on this house that would alert me if Katherine, and only Katherine, entered the house. I knew she would return here someday…"

Elena closed her eyes again, but it had nothing to do with what he said.

"Look at me, talking you to death in the pouring rain," he said hastily. "Let's get you in the car." And with that, he hoisted her up as easy as a rag doll, opened the back door, and laid her across the seat.

Elena shot up, determined to at least have a chance of making it out alive. With whatever energy she had left, she aimed a kick at his chest, throwing him off guard. He was pushed out of range of the door, and as quick as she could manage, she slammed it shut and hit the locks.

She was trying miserably to crawl to the driver's seat when there was a tapping at the window.

"Missing something?" Klaus asked, dangling the car keys from his fingers before punching the unlock button and opening the door. Ignoring Elena, he put the key in the ignition shut the door, and backed away from the tree.

Elena leaned back in her seat and really let her situation sink in: she was bleeding to death, her arm was killing her, and she had Katherine's cruel maker at the wheel of her car. Elena couldn't bare it anymore and almost started crying; a choking sob escaping her throat at the last moment.

Klaus looked back at her surprised. "I'm not going to hurt you….but I'm not going to help you either," he said, seriously, gazing at her. "I don't interfere with Katherine's wishes… And no offense, but I would never give a human my blood to help them. How ridiculous… What I will do is take you where you wanted to go in the first place," he replied as the car came in contact with solid ground again.

"You gave Katherine your blood," Elena managed to blurt out. She didn't know why she said it, but she felt like contradicting him for no good reason.

He laughed as he continued to drive the car till he was back on the main road. "I like you," he said with a grin, choosing not to answer her comment. "Were you heading to Mystic Falls? It was one of Katherine's haunts once upon a time so I only wonder."

"Yes," Elena said, letting hope well up. "But you can just park on the side of the road. I have help coming…really strong help. So it's probably better you leave anyway," she ended, hoping to persuade him to go.

"Help?" he asked. "And who pray-tell will help you?"

Just then Elena's phone rang. She reached in her pocket and picked it up. "Stefan," she cried into the phone.

"Not Salvatore?" Klaus asked confused from the front seat.

"Elena," Stefan said in relief. "We're trying to find you on route 33 right now. I need you to tell me anything else you know," he said hurriedly.

But before she could respond she heard Damon's voice come on the phone. "Before you answer that, tell me this. What food did you refuse to eat at the diner in Georgia?"

"What?" she said confused.

"Just answer the question," he asked roughly.

She closed her eyes and held back the urge to pass out. "Damon…this isn't the right time to discuss why I hate pickles right now…"

* * *

"Where are you?" Damon asked hurriedly. He felt both relieved that it was Elena, but also worried because it meant she was still in danger somewhere.

"I…." she started, and then Damon could swear he heard a male voice talking to her. "Who's there?"

"I think I'm near exit 25…" she said, and he noticed she sounded pretty breathy. "I'm in my car on the side of the road…it's raining pretty hard… I don't know what else to say…"

"Who's there?" he repeated. "Are you alright? Is someone hurting you right now?" he asked concerned.

"Well he's not helping me…" but the call ended abruptly when her end went dead.

"Someone's there with her, and it's not Katherine," Damon said, gripping the wheel till his knuckles turned white.

"I can't even begin to think of who it would be. Maybe Katherine turned someone and has been using him or something," Stefan replied, his eyes far away, trying to think of who it was. "The point is that we know it is Elena and where she is…"

"That's the only plus. We still have 10 exits to go," Damon said, stepping harder on the accelerator.

"She was well enough to answer the phone. Maybe that means she's not badly hurt and she's just shaken up," Stefan said hopefully.

"Oh yes, I'm sure Katherine had a little mani-pedi party with Elena and they talked about boys and braided each other's hair. She's peachy, Stefan," Damon said angrily.

"I'm trying to stay positive…" Stefan replied back. "I'm trying not to imagine her lying in a pool of blood waiting for help with some crazy vampire made by Katherine."

Damon pushed that image from his mind and knew Stefan was right. "Well how about instead of us worrying, you get out of the car and rush ahead. You'd get there faster than this car and this road is basically deserted."

He really didn't want to suggest it because deep down, he felt some need to be one of the first to find her and help her, but he knew that they were short on time.

As if he didn't need telling twice, Stefan jumped out the window and onto the road.

Moments later, Damon started driving into heavy rain and he knew he was closer and closer to where Elena was. "You better hold on," he though miserably.

* * *

Bonnie drove faster than she should have to Caroline's house, but she didn't care. The only thing she could think about was finding something that could help Elena out.

"Are you seriously not going to tell me what the hell is going on, Bonnie?" Caroline complained. "I mean, you talk about having visions and Elena and then you're all buddy buddy with the Salvatores? You have some explaining to do. Now spill."

Bonnie pulled up to the front of Caroline's house and put the car in park. "It's nothing big, Caroline. I just need to talk to Elena and Stefan seemed to have a clue as to where she was. I was worried about her and freaked out. I'm just going to go home and call around…"

"Bonnie. I'm not getting out of this car until you tell me why you're lying to me? I'm not stupid. I heard what you were talking about and it had to do with your psychic stuff, right? Tell me," Caroline said seriously.

"I really can't. I wouldn't even know where to start and I really need to leave. Please, Caroline," she said, motioning toward her house.

"No. I'm tired of being left out. It's always you and Elena. Then there's me for when you decide you have time for me because you're having some weird tiff with her that you only talked cryptically about," she said rolling her eyes. "You can trust me. Just tell me and I'll even try to help."

Bonnie sighed in frustration. "If I promise to tell you later will you get out of the car?"

"Why don't I just come with you? You said you were going home. I'll keep you company," Caroline suggested.

"You really want to know? Fine. Come along for the ride, but don't say I didn't try to leave you out," Bonnie replied, putting the car back into drive and taking off.

"No need to get all angry…So what is it that we're going to do at your house exactly? You said something about making phone calls?" Caroline asked curiously.

"No, not unless I find something useful in the book," Bonnie muttered, glancing in her rearview mirror to see if any cops were around before she drove a little faster.

"What book? You mentioned something about Grams book to Stefan…Is that like some weird cook book? Because that makes no sense at all," she ended, looking confused.

"Caroline, you know how I told you I was a psychic a while back…" Bonnie said ignoring Caroline's rant and waiting for her reply. She nodded her head and Bonnie continued. "Well, long story short, I'm a witch. Grams was one too; it's a family thing. Anyway, Elena is….lost…and we need to find her."

"So can you like, wiggle your nose and make things happen?" Caroline asked.

Bonnie looked at her with raised brows. "No…this isn't bewitched. It's just pure magic and I need to find a spell to locate her somehow."

"It's kind of cool you're a witch…but where do the Salvatores come in on this?" Caroline asked confused.

At that point, Bonnie made it home and was pulling into her driveway. "Stefan wants to help me find her and Damon happened to be there. Elena ran into one of Stefan's crazy ex's and we don't' know if they're umm, fighting," Bonnie said, hoping Caroline would buy it.

"Cat fight," Caroline said smiling. "What's wrong with using the phone? I mean, it is 2010. You said she has her emergency phone on her."

"It's not as easy as…" but Bonnie stopped, realizing what Caroline had said. "She does have her emergency phone…"

They walked into the house and Bonnie hurriedly ran up the stairs to her room. Once inside, she rifled under her bed until she found the book she was looking for.

"Elena, you picked up! Everyone's totally freaking about as to where you are," Caroline said as she walked into the room on her phone.

Bonnie's eyes lit up in surprise, anger, and fear. "No!" she mouthed to Caroline.

"Well I'm with Bonnie right now and she wants to find you. And me being smart figured, why not call your emergency number phone since you lost your other one…Are you ok?" Caroline asked.

Bonnie ran over to her to try to hear what Katherine was saying. "Put it on speaker," she mouthed the Caroline.

She gave her a weird looked, but listened. Soon Bonnie could hear Katherine speaking. "I'm fine. I'm heading home now, actually. I'm just curious why you thought something was wrong."

"Beats me," Caroline said honestly. "But since you're fine and coming home, Bonnie and Stefan can stop freaking out… Where are you coming back from anyways?"

Bonnie held her breath, curious to see if Katherine would answer truthfully. "Oh, I was just out on some family outing…Hey, can you put Bonnie on? I need to ask her a personal question. Without the speaker on if you don't mind," she said sounding nonchalant, but to Bonnie, angry at the same time.

"Whatever. But we all have to talk when you're back in town, things are crazy," she said, nodding her head and handing the phone to Bonnie. "I have to go to the bathroom anyways," she said as she left the room.

Bonnie grabbed the phone and hesitantly put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Well, I finally get to talk to you, Bonnie Bennett," Katherine said with amusement.

**Sorry for the wait. I was away at a friend's house so I couldn't update. Hope you like it! Enjoy and Review! Cheers.**


	16. Fear

**A/N: Delena fans are going to chuckle at this chapter. **

Elena looked up in surprise as Klaus snatched the phone away, ending the call and tossing it to the floor. "That's enough information for them," he said seriously. Then before Elena could register it, he put the car in park, got out, and was in the backseat in a flash.

She scooted further until her back hit the window and avoided eye contact. But he grabbed her wrist harshly until she looked at him. "I thought you said you weren't going to hurt me," she said, trying to sound defensive instead of panicked.

He smiled and stroked a finger down her cheek. "Did I…." he said coolly. Sighing, he just continued to look at her a minute before responding. "I did, so I will leave you to those disturbing Salvatores I heard you talk to. They've been a pain in my side for a long time. The way Katherine swooned over them," he said in disgust.

"But no matter…I'll let you go. But let me ask you this…are you with one of them? You are aren't you? Stefan, the one you talked to" he said, registering the look on her face. "It must run in the blood like a disease, this attraction to them…it's disturbing."

Elena wanted to know how he knew Stefan and Damon, but she was eager for him to leave. "I'll let them know how helpful you were, assuming you're going to let me go" she said, scared now that he was changing his mind.

"No, actually. I don't want them to know you even met me," he said, his eyes darkening.

Elena turned her head away, but he laughed. "Do you honestly think that I need to look at you for you to listen to what I have to say," he said in a soothing tone. "I have something important to tell you before I leave, and you're going to want to hear it…"

Elena turned back to him to listen, back in the daze she had found herself in earlier.

"It would be a shame for you to forget me, so let's keep it that way….But if the Salvatores, or anyone for that matter ask who helped you here…you don't remember. You can't even describe his face," he said commandingly, to which Elena nodded in agreement. "And if you run into Katherine before I do, which I highly doubt now that I know where she is, you can tell her I was here."

He was about to leave when something else came to his mind, causing him to laugh. "Oh this will be fun…Do me a favor. When you see your boyfriend, I want you to be terrified of him. You don't want him to touch you, to be near you. He scares you," he said almost laughing as Elena's face tightened as she took in the news.

"Oh the look on his face will be priceless," he chuckled. Then he moved away from her, sliding his hand to her injured shoulder, and swiping a trickle of blood off her arm. He put his finger to his lips and licked it, analyzing her blood as if it were a fine wine. "Hmm, you even taste a little like Katherine…." he said as Elena still looked on hazily. "I look forward to running into you again."

Elena snapped out of it just as he leaned in and gave her a swift peck on the lips. Even in her weakened state, she had it in her to slap him across the face with her good hand. But he simply laughed and whooshed out of the car.

When he was gone, Elena rested her head back against the window, letting the glass cool her down. Now she was feeling feverish, yet shaky at the same time: her time was running short. She closed her eyes for a second, telling herself she was just resting her eyes.

Moments later, the back door opened, but she resisted the urge to open her eyes. She didn't want to see Klaus leering down at her again. But it was a different voice that spoke to her this time.

"Elena. Elena, please open your eyes," Stefan said wildly.

Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice and when she looked at him, she surprised him with a loud scream followed by a swift kick to his nuts as her hands searched behind her for the knob and she fell unceremoniously out of the car.

* * *

"What did you do with Elena, Katherine?" Bonnie said shakily as she went over to her bedroom door and locked it. She didn't want Caroline coming in as she was talking.

"Straight to business I see," Katherine replied smoothly. "But let's not discuss her at the moment. I'm sure my boys are finding her as we speak. I was kind enough to let her know where she was for them to look."

"But that's not helpf…" Bonnie began.

"I don't care how helpful it was. If she dies, then it's not on me. I did my part by leaving her alive. Now let's get to what I wanted to before your annoying little friend pops up again," Katherine said with mild amusement in her voice.

"I have no urge to talk to you unless I know where Elena is and that she's safe," Bonnie replied, standing her ground.

"You're in no position to make requests here, witch. So here's the deal. I ask the questions, and you answer. Got it?" Katherine said threateningly.

"Fine. Ask your question and I'll ask mine," Bonnie replied angrily.

"We'll see…but my question is in regards to your magical expertise and I know you have them because of that little stunt you pulled on me," she said confidently. "So my question lies specifically on location spells. Are you able to find an object and not a person?"

"An object?" Bonnie asked confused. "What kind of object?"

"That's not important, the question is can it be done?"

Bonnie thought about it for a moment and wondered if she should answer honestly or make it up. In reality, she wasn't sure if such a thing could be done because she had never had to do so. Then she thought about it. "I was able to summon the right book in the Salvatore house by thinking of it…maybe it's the same with what Katherine was asking…" she thought to herself.

"I don't think so," Bonnie decided to answer. "I've never heard of locating an object."

"Hmm. Well now that I know you've decided to lie to me, I'm going to end our little conversation. Hope you have fun at her funeral," Katherine said, making as if she was going to hang up.

"No…ok, fine. I think there is a way, but I don't know it. I only have a vague idea of what you are getting at," Bonnie answered truthfully. "I swear. Now please just tell me where she…"

"Are you capable of performing such a spell?" Katherine asked before Bonnie could continue.

Bonnie swallowed hard and felt anger surge through her. "No. I'm not when I'm too emotional and think that a friend of mine is out there dying because some bitch wants to talk to me about things I've never even attempted…" she said vehemently.

"You're amusing. You're nothing like Emily, but you could have the talent…." Katherine said with a chuckle, ignoring Bonnie's anger. "Here's the deal, you do the spell for me."

"And what do I get?" Bonnie asked, angered more by Katherine's dismissal.

"You'll get the satisfaction of knowing Elena is safe…and I won't kill your little obnoxious friend, I just talked to. I'm sure it's not too hard to trick her into seeing things my way," Katherine said with a snarl.

Bonnie was thinking it over and trying to decide the best course when there was a knocking at her door.

"Bonnie. Are you doing some weirdo spell in there or something?" Caroline asked from the doorway.

"Call me when you have your decision…and make it quick," Katherine said as she hung up the phone.

"Damn it," Bonnie muttered as she threw her phone down on the bed and headed to the door to let Caroline inside.

* * *

The rain wasn't showing signs of letting up as Damon sped on, finally reaching the area Elena said she was close to. Sure enough when he looked over, he was able to make out her car on the side of the road. But what he saw had him confused.

In one swift motion, he put the car in park and sped out and over to Elena's. As he approached, he saw Stefan with his hands up in surrender talking to Elena who was on her back and crawling back on her elbows, but slowly. If Damon didn't know any better, he would say she was scared—of Stefan.

"It's just me, Elena," he heard Stefan say. But Elena shook her head violently and started to get up.

Damon didn't know whether to approach her from behind or make his way to Stefan's side. He decided to go in between and come at both of them so that they would both have to turn to look at him.

"So what's the story, kiddies?" Damon said as he made his way to them. Stefan turned his head briefly in acknowledgement, but his eyes never left Elena, who was now shakily standing up.

Hearing Damon's voice, Elena's head shot to the sound of it and without a second thought, she hastily made her way to Damon, almost collapsing in his arms.

Damon's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked from a confused and hurt Stefan to a trembling Elena.

"Well this is an interesting turn of events," he said, wagging his eyebrows at Stefan. Then getting serious, he looked down at Elena to see what was wrong. "Elena. Look at me. What's going on? Are you ok?"

Her eyes cut to Stefan as she shuttered and grasped Damon. "Please can we just go. Now. Get away from him…"

"We can't just leave dear Stefan in the rain, although it may be his thing since it goes with his whole mopy attitude," he said, probing Elena's face to see what was wrong. And then he caught it. Had he not been a vampire, it would have been unrecognizable, but he saw in her eyes a brief distortion—like a haze.

"Elena. Are you scared of Stefan?" he asked, half in amusement half serious.

At this she merely nodded her head and held on to him tighter, now trying to drag him to the car. "We need to go…we…"

"She's under compulsion," Damon said to Stefan quietly so as to not alarm Elena. "You can see it in her eyes."

Stefan face went from anger to relief to anger in seconds. "Well at least we know why she's freaking out then. But I can't guess the reason why she'd be compelled to do that."

"Just Katherine trying to give you a good old mind fuc…." But he stopped speaking as he realized that Elena had gone limp in his hands.

At that point, Stefan rushed over to help. "Open the hatch to her truck so we can get her out of the rain," Damon said hurriedly.

Stefan opened it and the laid Elena across the back trunk compartment to see what the damage was. At first they thought it was just from the bite marks on her neck and that she just fainted, but then Stefan spotted the shirt wrapped around her shoulder.

Both brothers grabbed Elena and rotated her the other way so that her shoulder was facing them. Being gentle, Stefan moved the shirt around a bit to get a glimpse of what happened and he snarled as he saw the injury.

"She sliced off her shoulder," he said quietly as Damon took a look at the same time. "She…" but he was at a loss for words as he looked at Elena's pale body.

Stefan then realized that she was shaking and had nothing but her cami and jeans on and took off his jacket to lay across her. Just as he was putting it on, her eyes fluttered open and he heard her heart accelerate before she let out a small startled cry.

"Please…I just want to go home," she whimpered. And then noticing Damon was still there, she tried to get up and reach for him.

"I've got a magnetic personality," he said mockingly to mask the concern that was brewing underneath.

He lightly nudged Stefan out of the way so that Elena's view of him was blocked. "Elena. I need you to look at me…You don't need to be scared of Stefan," he said once he had her attention. But she didn't process the information. She just shook her head to the side.

"The compulsion's too strong. We'll have to vervain her up or something later," Damon muttered. Stefan nodded, wanting badly to be near Elena but keeping behind so as to not alarm her.

"Elena. I'm going to take you to the hospital. You're going to be alright ok. Trust me," he said with what he hoped was an encouraging smile. But his smile dropped when both he and Stefan heard what they had never hoped to hear: Elena's heart stopped beating.

**Dun, dun, dun! ****Poor Stefan can't catch a break can he, haha. Anyways, hope you like it. Enjoy and review. Cheers.**


	17. Yellow

Stefan immediately went to Elena's side looking her over. "No, no no," he said, not wanting to believe her heart had stopped. "Damon, help me," he uttered as he tried to hold back his panic.

But Damon stood there in the rain staring at Elena's dead body. He never imagined this happening, not now, not ever. Then a shocking truth hit him hard: he loved Elena a lot more than he had ever admitted to himself. Seeing her there like that was a cruel and crude wake up call. It wasn't until he saw Stefan's face and heard him yelling out to help him again that he snapped out of it.

"I need you to do chest compressions while I breathe into her mouth," Stefan said hurriedly.

Damon nodded his head and positioned himself over her body. He slowly placed both his hands on her chest above her heart, feeling uncomfortable at the lack of the pulse in her body.

"1, 2, 3," Stefan said pointedly at Damon. Damon started pumping the chest and after some time, Stefan would breathe in her mouth. They did this for a couple minutes when finally they heard it; Elena's heart, though faint, started back up.

"We did it," Damon said both surprised and relieved. "That was…" But he stopped talking as he looked over and saw Stefan bite into his wrist and hold it to Elena's lips.

"Stefan. Elena's heart could stop beating again. Are you…"

"I'm not losing her, Damon. I can't…" Stefan said with fervor as he stared at Elena intently, willing her to stay alive.

Damon shook his head angrily and then made a suggestion. "If she has any chance what so ever of making it through, she's going to need something stronger than your blood….it won't be enough to heal her fast enough," Damon said seriously.

Stefan looked up then and saw that Damon was serious. "I can't leave her…"

"If you want her to live, you jump in the driver's seat and drive. I'll take over. I promise she won't die," he said somberly, "I won't let her."

Stefan looked up from Elena to really look at Damon. "You love her," Stefan whispered as he took in the realization.

Damon simply looked on at Elena who still looked pale. "We're running out of time, Stefan. You said you don't want history to repeat itself? How do you think it'll be if she dies and becomes one of us? It'll be your fault."

Stefan took one last look at Elena and moved out of the car and up to Damon so that he was face to face. "I trust you to keep her alive…"he said with sincerity. "If I could save her life completely right now, I would bleed myself dry. But as it is, I can't. But know at the end of the day, Elena is mine… and I won't be giving her up," he said honestly.

"You done with your speech? Your "girlfriend" is dying here," he snarled as he jumped into the back and resumed where Stefan took off. Just to annoy Stefan, he arranged himself so that Elena's head was in his lap while he placed his wrist over her lips. "Besides, if she wakes up, I don't think she'll be happy to see you yet, not without vervain. Now drive."

Stefan gave him one final look and shut the hatch, rushing to the driver's side and executing a fast U-turn to head back to Mystic Falls. His only comfort was the gradual increase of sound that was Elena's heart.

"I don't think we should take her to the hospital, now," Stefan yelled back to Damon. "With the blood in her system, she might just heal up completely and if she's there, it's going to be hard to explain what happened. We'll take her to the boarding house."

"Fine with me. She can sleep in my bed," he responded suggestively.

In response, Stefan side-swiped Damon's car on the way back, knocking off the mirror. "This damn rain makes it so hard to see…" he said sarcastically as Damon growled from the back.

* * *

Tyler looked up from the papers he was reading and threw them back on the table. "I can't believe that all happened….all the attacks, cover ups like Logan Fell…Dad," he said in shock.

"This town is full of secrets," Rio said scowling. "I'm just pissed off that dad had to be a part of them."

"Our parents died because of this town," Chloe said quietly from her perch on the piano bench. "I say we get some revenge…"

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Rio said heartily, looking thankfully at her.

"And what does that mean?" Tyler interjected.

"I'm not opposed to burning some buildings. Maybe it'll kill real people inside that matter to this town…like the sheriff and the other council members involved in all of this," Chloe said, sounding excited.

"You're talking about killing people? What the hell is wrong with you?" Tyler snapped.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Chloe retorted. "You just read through all the shit this town has covered up and learned what happened to mom ….how can you not want some revenge?"

Tyler stood up shaking his head. "You forget that dad had a part in making this town—this council—the way it is. So I don't think it's fair to punish those who would do exactly what dad probably told them to do…I would love revenge Chloe, but not like that."

"Wow, Tyler. For someone with a temper that hits the ceiling you're taking this all pretty well," Rio commented. "But I don't think it has to do with some loyalty to dad or the town."

"What are you playing at?" Tyler said.

"Chloe and I barely made attachments to this town. I mean, seriously, who would? It's a small get you nowhere town. But you…." He said, starting to smile. "You've grown up and gotten used to the small town and its people. You're even best friends with someone who's dating our dear sheriff's daughter…"

"Ha. You're worried about your bff's girlfriend getting hurt…that's funny, but pathetic at the same time," Chloe chimed in.

Tyler stood there and started shaking in anger. "It's not even about a certain person. It's about hurting and killing people in general and…"

"No one said we were going to go on a killing spree, Tyler," he said with a snarl. "It'll be more like selective elimination."

"I'm not having a part in this," Tyler said backing away. "Do I want that bitch sheriff to die for what she did to mom? Yes, I do. But part of the reason she was even in that position is your fault, Rio. And I can hate someone without being violent," Tyler said vehemently. "But….I have a suggestion that doesn't involve hurting anyone. It would just make a statement," Tyler said with a smile.

"I'm intrigued now," Rio said smiling.

"I say we find out where the council holds its meetings and burn it down, leaving behind a message…" Tyler said angrily.

"I'm liking it so far. But what, you want to leave a post-it note on the charred remains? What kind of message are we talking about?" Chloe asked curiously.

"I have some ideas," Rio said with a wicked smile. "But let me stake out the town a bit first and get a real feel for it. It's been a while since I've just roamed about."

"I don't know if I trust you to just walk around," Tyler said carefully.

"What, is he going to wolf out in the daylight and scare the poor town-folk? Please, Tyler. Give him some credit," Chloe said defensively.

"Thank you," Rio said, starting to walk out. "And while I'm away, why don't you get Tyler up to speed with our family's colorful history."

Chloe let out a small groan but turned to Tyler. "Fine, but I'm making some margarita's first because it's a long story. But at least you'll understand what the hell to do the next time you transform," she told Tyler as she headed for the bar.

Tyler, looking defeated, collapsed down onto the couch and put his head back against the back. "What have I gotten myself into," he thought miserably.

* * *

"Finally," Caroline muttered impatiently as Bonnie opened the door.

Bonnie strode back to the bed and threw herself down on it, letting out a small hiss of frustration.

"What's your deal, Bonnie? You can relax, now. Elena's fine and she's on her way home," Caroline said, reaching in her bag for her lotion.

"Caroline," Bonnie said shaking her head. "You can be so stupid sometimes…"

"Excuse me?" Caroline said, stopping her search and twirling around to face Bonnie.

"I told you what I was doing to handle the situation and you didn't listen. Instead, you just jumped in impulsively thinking you knew what was best…" Bonnie said frustrated

"Thanks, Bonnie. I enjoy being called stupid and impulsive by my best friend. It makes my day," Caroline said glaring at her. "I'm sorry you didn't get to pull your so called witch powers out to find Elena instead of calling her like a normal person."

Bonnie shot up and looked at her angrily. "I knew you wouldn't take any of this seriously and that's why I never talked to you about it. You think it's some big joke. Well it's not, and now things are a lot more complicated thanks to you."

"Complicated? You don't even make sense right now. Elena's coming home…but whatever. If you're just going to yell at me for your issues today, I'm leaving," Caroline said angrily.

Bonnie took a deep breath and got up . "I'm sorry Caroline. I'm just really frustrated and I'm taking it out on you when you don't even know everything."

"Spare me," Caroline said holding her hand up and leaving the room.

"Caroline," Bonnie whined, but she left the room. A minute later, Bonnie heard the front door slam.

"She's such a drama queen," Bonnie said sighing before she went back to her phone.

She was hesitant on what she should do. Helping Katherine wasn't really on her to do list, but she didn't want anyone to get hurt because of her decisions. Before she made up her mind, though, she wanted to hear from Stefan and see if they found anything out.

"Ugh," she groaned as she realized she hadn't gotten Stefan's number, only Damon's. "Well it's someone…" she muttered as she pressed call on the number.

It rang so long she thought it was going to go to voicemail when suddenly he picked up. "What?" he asked almost angrily.

"Well hi to you too…Listen, do you have any news on Elena?" Bonnie asked hopefully.

"We found her and we're heading back now."

Bonnie smiled and let out sigh of relief. "That's great. Is she ok? Can I talk to her?"

"Long story short, she almost died. So no, she's not ok. But we're working on making her better," Damon replied, wiping the smile right off Bonnie's face.

"Oh my god," Bonnie replied. "What…"

"I can't really talk right now. I'm kind of saving Elena's life. Call back later." And with that he hung up the phone.

She looked at her phone in shock for a few moments as she processed the information. Elena was dying and was with Damon who was probably feeding her blood right now. "But if she doesn't make it, she'll turn," she thought to herself miserably.

Angrily, she went through her phone again and dialed Katherine's number.

"Well, have you decided?" Katherine said as she picked up the phone.

"I don't know what you did to Elena, but you won't get away with it," Bonnie said threateningly. "She almost died, could still die….and let me tell you, I will make you suffer till…"

"Oh spare me the threats, princess. I hurt your friend, boo hoo. More people will get hurt or die around you. It's inevitable. But if it's me that does the hurting, then that's your choice that's dependent on your cooperation," Katherine responded coolly.

"Your threats won't bother me anymore. I know what I'm capable of," Bonnie replied defensively.

"Oh really…can you bring people back from the dead, then?" Katherine replied with a laugh. "You do the spell, I don't kill anyone you know because your threat, unlike mine, is empty."

"That's where you're wrong," Bonnie replied. "I refuse to help you."

Katherine sighed. "I'm sad to hear you say that Bonnie. Elena's going to be so disappointed when she finds out her precious aunt Jenna is dead."

That statement stopped Bonnie in her tracks, but she decided not to react to it. "You're lying."

"You know what the beauty of compulsion is, Bonnie? It only takes one phone call once you've been compelled already. And poor Jenna just needs a little…persuading from her dear niece "Elena" to, oh, I don't know, throw herself out a window," she said menacingly.

"I'll meet you at Fell's church in 30 minutes," Katherine replied in response to Bonnie's silence. Then the line went dead.

**Katherine's a bitch, ain't she? Lol. I hope I'm doing her character justice. I can't wait to see how she is on the show! Anyways, hope you like it! Enjoy and review. Oh and again with the music titles, lol. Shout out to Coldplay's yellow, acoustic version... "for you I'd bleed myself dry..." for Stefan. Cheers.**


	18. On the prowl

Damon pulled his wrist away when he thought it was enough and looked down at Elena. He was satisfied to see the color coming back to her cheeks and feel the steady pulse beneath her skin. When his wrist healed over he placed his hand on her chest just to feel comforted by the feel of her heart beating under it. In response, she shifted a bit, nuzzling against his leg.

He smiled and shook his head, thinking that his situation was laughable. Here he was in the same car as his brother with Elena in his lap, almost cuddling with him. Het let out a small chuckle at the thought.

"What's so funny?" Stefan murmured from the front. By this time they were nearly to the driveway. And while Damon didn't necessarily want to move from his comfortable position, he was now entirely exhausted from giving so much to Elena.

"Oh, Elena's groping me back here and it makes me giggle," Damon said sarcastically.

He could almost feel Stefan's eyes glaring at him, but he chose to ignore it and smiled in victory.

As soon as they reached the house, Stefan threw the car in park, shut it off, and hurriedly opened the back hatch. Without saying a word, he lifted Elena off of Damon's lap and brought her into the boarding house.

Damon waited until he was inside to slowly climb out of the truck. He steadied himself a bit before shutting the hatch. Elena had needed a lot more blood than he thought, making him feel weak and tired. He would have to feed soon. Luckily for him he still had some blood bags around the house.

His pace was slow as he wandered toward the house and made his way to the living room. There he saw Stefan tucking Elena in on the couch with several blankets. Damon watched for a second and then made his way over to the bar for some whiskey.

"I think I'll actually join you," Stefan said, coming up next to him looking tired himself.

Damon's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Saint Stefan drinking? Wow," he said as he poured another one. He went to hand it to Stefan but changed his mind as he downed it and handed him the empty glass. "We can't all be saints," he said in response.

Stefan shook it off and filled up the glass Damon left in his hand. "Shouldn't you be drinking something a little stronger than whiskey right now, Damon? You look drained…you didn't have to give her so much…"

"Actually I did, brother, because I promised I would keep her alive and I gave her what it took," Damon replied, falling into the couch to relax as he took a glance at Elena's sleeping figure.

"And I'm forever grateful for what you did tonight….but you need blood. I don't need to start worrying about you too," he replied, taking a swig out of his glass.

"Please…don't worry on my account. It's disturbing. Besides, right now you should actually be worrying about giving Elena some vervain before she wakes up," Damon commented. "I mean, I don't mind shielding her from scary ole Stefan, but something tells me you don't get a kick out of it."

"Oh I got a kick out of it," Stefan mumbled as he walked over to the bookcase and started to look for something.

"What was that?" Damon asked.

"Nothing," Stefan said as he found a box on the shelf that held some sprigs of vervain.

"Did Elena kick you?" Damon said with amusement. "That's cute. I bet it hurt her more than you, though."

Stefan sighed and walked over to grab a glass. "Let's just call it a well-aimed kick," he muttered.

Damon shot up out of his seat and then started bursting out laughing. "She….took a shot at the boys? Ha. That's priceless. I would have loved to see that," he chuckled.

Stefan shook his head. "I don't even know if she'll remember doing it after the vervain. It's weird how it works," Stefan said, grabbing the glass and taking it to the kitchen.

"Oh, I hope she does…but speaking of vervain, are you hoping that she'll wake up all nice and calm and sip tea," he said nodding to the glass. "You're going to have to be more creative."

Damon got up slowly and headed for the desk, pulling out one of Alaric's darts. "This is more efficient."

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "I am not stabbing her with that. It's a bit barbaric after everything she's been through, don't you think?"

"I suppose," Damon said sighing. "Fine, do the Stefan method if it makes it easier to sleep with that halo of yours at night," he said rolling his eyes.

With that, Stefan left the room and headed for the kitchen.

"Sometimes you're just so dense, Stef," Damon said shaking his head as went over to Elena. "It's just a tiny poke anyway," he said as he slowly jabbed the needle into her arm.

* * *

"So do you need me to go out and spy on Elena again?" Cherie asked Isobel hopefully. She had been cooped up for longer than she liked and she was itching to go out.

"No. But you can stay and babysit John for me…I'm going to go have a little chat with Katherine…assuming she'll answer her phone," she said impatiently as she looked through her phone for her number.

"And what is it exactly do you think I'm going to do while you're gone?" John replied sarcastically.

"Something," she snapped as she headed upstairs to take the call. She waited and waited, half-expecting Katherine to ignore it, but surprisingly Katherine picked up.

"Well, well, Isobel. I didn't expect to hear from you of all people. I thought our business was done after our last conversation," Katherine said questioningly.

"Well you made it unfinished business when you attacked Elena, Katherine," Isobel replied, thinking back to when Elena was in the hospital. She was about to mention Rick when Katherine started up.

"How did you even know I attacked her? I guess you've been chatting with the Salvatores… I assume they've found her by now. But this makes me wonder why you're talking to them…are you changing sides, Isobel?" Katherine asked threateningly.

"What do you mean found her by now? Did you do something else to her?" she said, both angered and troubled.

"Oh, you honestly don't know do you?" Katherine responded, noting the confusion in her voice. "Well no matter. I just had a little chat with her and we had a bit of a disagreement. And long story short, she might need a band aid. But what are you really calling about anyway," she said, sounding bored. "I have somewhere to be shortly."

Isobel took a moment to absorb what Katherine had said about Elena before responding. "Where is Elena, Katherine?"

"With the Salvatores; probably even at their house by now. She's safe. Now why did you call? Before I hang up, I'm bored," she said impatiently.

"I want to meet," Isobel said angrily. "We need to talk about some things in person. Just tell me where to meet up with you and I'll make it there."

"Are you…You're in Mystic Falls aren't you? You couldn't trust me, could you," Katherine replied with some amusement in her voice. "Of course if I was you, I wouldn't trust me either, but that's besides the point...well, await my call and we'll meet. I'm busy at the moment."

"What are you up to Katherine?" Isobel asked curiously.

"Oh just a bit of hocus pocus," Katherine said with a chuckle as she hung up the phone.

She stared at the phone angrily a bit before shutting it. "She crossed the line for the last time…"

Frustrated, Isobel strode back downstairs and into the living room, stopping in her tracks as her nose picked up a smell: blood, and it was fresh.

Her eyes scanned the room as she followed the smell. "Cherie? John?" she asked, but as she approached the kitchen, she found the source of the blood. Cherie was lying face-down on the tile floor with a chair leg sticking out of her back rammed straight through to the heart.

"God damn it, John!" she hissed as she looked around the house and saw the back door wide open.

* * *

"Completely uncalled for," Caroline was muttering as she walked through town on her way to the Grill. She was pissed off at how Bonnie had treated her, not to mention she wasn't wearing her comfiest shoes.

As she was fuming and thinking about what happened, she heard a car slow down behind her on the road. "Great," she thought as she continued walking

But the voice that came out of the window stopped her. "Caroline, is it?"

She turned around, surprised, and saw that it was Rio behind the wheel smiling that big grin at her.

"Yeah. You remembered," she said in surprise. "What are you doing around here, Rio? Besides stalking me that is," she added as she pointed to his idling car.

"You caught me. I've been a complete creeper…" he said with a smile. "I could ask you what you're doing walking around by yourself."

She analyzed him for a bit and then decided to respond honestly. "It's stupid. I was at Bonnie's and we had a little fight, so I decided to just head to the Grill since I'm meeting my…Matt…" she said, changing her words quickly. She felt weird saying boyfriend in front of Rio. "for dinner."

Rio's eyes sparkled as he looked her over and then he glanced around town. "What time are you meeting him? Because if you're not too busy, I would love if you could show me some fun things to do around here. I haven't been around town in ages."

Caroline smiled and thought it over; torn. She did really want to show him around town, but she knew she had to meet up with Matt soon. She also questioned how it would look, too, to go around town with another guy. "What am I doing anyway?" she thought to herself.

She brought her hand to her head to move her hair back before she responded. "Well…"

"Just a quick show if you're meeting him soon," Rio pressed.

She tilted her head to the side. "You're persistent aren't you? Ok, but I have like, 45 minutes tops…"

"I'm sure you'd run out of cool or interesting things about this place in 20, so that sounds fine," Rio replied with a chuckle. "Hop in."

Sighing, she walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and settled into the smooth leather seats. She made sure to buckle up carefully, more careful since the accident.

"So what kind of fun are you looking for?" she asked curiously. "Because there are funs for different types."

"Different types? And what would that be?"

"Well like, if you're the gamer type there's the arcade or video store. If you're all I love sports, then I'd say the Grill for watching the game or shooting pool…or like if you're a total nerd…but you're so none of these so it's not important," Caroline said, ending her rant.

Rio laughed. "Ok, well say I am the nerd type as you put it, what would be the cool place to go?"

"Seriously? You don't really scream nerd, but…I'll humor you," she said rolling her eyes. "You'd be like the loners and either hang near the library or probably the courthouse. A lot of information and things are stored there and all types of meetings go on. I'm sure you'd could learn some town history there. Then there's always like, a bookstore."

"And where is the courthouse?" Rio asked, sounding interested.

"You're not kidding? Ok, drive down here and make a left," she said. "I didn't think I'd show you a fun geeky time."

"Not necessarily…I'm just interested in knowing more about the town," Rio replied, taking the left. "So besides those other types, what do normal people do for fun?"

"Now that I can answer pretty well," she said smiling at him. "There's….hmm. I wonder what my mom's doing there," she suddenly said as she noticed her mom's cop car parked near the courthouse next to some other cars.

Rio looked around curiously, wondering the same thing. "Let's find out," he said with a wink as he parked the car and headed toward the courthouse.

**Hope you had a few chuckles and some suspense at the same time, lol! Enjoy and review. Cheers.**


	19. Safe

"Rio!" Caroline said with a hectic whisper. "We shouldn't be here. This place should be closed down, which means if my mom is here there is something up or…something," Caroline said unsure of herself.

Rio continued his walk down the hall. They had already walked around the building and found the back doors unlocked. He had heard noise coming from the left wing and was making his way to it.

"You said the nerds like hanging here…why not check it out. If we're caught then I'll get us out of it, ok," Rio said smiling.

"I'd say you're more James Bond than Steve Urkel right now," she said, but followed him anyway. She was a bit curious, though nervous at the same time to be creeping around the place.

As they approached, she heard faint voices. "Who else is here, then?" she wondered out loud.

Rio nodded his head, put his finger to his lips in a shh motion, and they both nudged their way until they were close to the door. They both kneeled down to get closer to where the voices were clearer.

"Are you sure that's the right information?" someone, a male voice, asked.

"He seemed pretty sure of it. He said that the information was from a reliable source and he's usually correct when it comes to such things," said a female voice.

"That's my mom," Caroline told Rio, he nodded his head, but moved his ear closer to the door. "I wonder who she's talking to? And what are they talking about ? and…"

But Rio lightly put his hand over her mouth to silence her. She blushed and slowly removed his hand. "Shutting up," she mouthed.

"Well why isn't he here telling us the information? For a council member he's not very reliable," someone else said from the room.

"Damon's helped us many times. Just because he doesn't come to the meetings, doesn't make him any less important. If anything, he's taken on a more proactive role," Sheriff Forbes responded.

Rio's eyes narrowed as he took in her words. "Why was Damon helping the council?" he thought to himself. "And who the hell was he anyway?"

"Well it's worth a shot anyway. If we come across one, we know what to try for instead of just getting mauled," another voice said.

"Unless we know who it is and get them while they are human….that way it's quick and easy," a male voice said.

"Human?" Caroline said out loud looking at Rio confused.

But he had gone rigid at that point. He had a feeling he knew what they were talking about.

"Oh yes, let's just go around killing people, real smooth…"

"While yes it would be easier to take them down human, it's not right. We wait until they transform, attack then, and remove the head. I know it's more dangerous, but I can't think of killing a person…not again," Sheriff Forbes said.

"Oh my god," Caroline whispered. "She killed someone? And what are they talking about? That's so…Rio, are you ok?" she said stopping her questions as she noticed Rio shaking.

"I was right," he murmured as he closed his eyes. "Son of a bitch." Then without warning he grabbed Caroline and slammed her head forcefully against the floor.

* * *

Stefan walked back into the living room 15 minutes later with a glass of tea and a bag of blood. He set the glass down and walked over to Damon, who was passed out on the armchair.

"Damon," Stefan said knocking his arm. Damon's eyes shot open and he looked first to see if Elena was ok before settling his eyes on Stefan.

"Are there some hot chicks with bottles of booze dancing around my room naked?" Damon asked.

"No…"

"Then why did you wake me up," Damon mumbled, standing up.

Stefan tossed the bag of blood to Damon. "You wouldn't be able to do much dancing right now anyways," Stefan said sighing.

"Oh so you're saying if I was a good boy I would have had my wish come true," Damon said with a smirk as he grabbed the bag. "What, no straw?"

Stefan rolled his eyes and went over to Elena. "I'm debating whether to wake her up or not…"

"Well the vervain should have worked its way through her system a bit faster because of the blood, so I'm sure she won't freak out," Damon said hungrily drinking out of the bag.

"What? I didn't give her the verv….you just had to do things your way, didn't you?" Stefan said angrily.

"Don't be mad because I did something you were too delicate to do. She didn't even flinch anyways," he responded.

"It's not up to you to decide what's good or better for her Damon, it's…"

"Oh, it's your decision? What is she to you? Your girlfriend or your kid? I mean, god, she can make up her own mind on what's best and I'm sure if she was awake, she would have done the same thing," Damon said lazily.

"You'd like to forget she's my girlfriend, Damon, but I'm only looking out for Elena. It's what I do for the people I love," Stefan argued.

"Oh because you looked after Katherine just fine all those years ago," Damon shot. "Not to mention your dear brother. You watched over him so carefully didn't you…But don't worry about me on my account, I already told you that you don't get to feel my guilt."

Stefan's face dropped at the comment, but he didn't get to respond because all of a sudden Elena shot up on the couch. She grasped her shoulder tenderly and felt her neck.

With one final scowl at Damon, Stefan headed over to Elena, careful not to move too fast and alarm her.

She looked around the room with confusion and then settled her eyes on Damon a second before focusing on Stefan.

"Elena." Stefan asked questioningly. He didn't know if she was still under compulsion or not and he didn't want to push his luck.

"Stefan," she replied , somewhat out of it as she yawned. "Did you give me blood?" she said as the yawn had her taste the coppery substance leftover in her mouth.

Stefan sighed in relief that Elena was fine with him again and he went over to hug her. He embraced her, careful not to hug too hard on the healing shoulder. "I gave you a little, but it was Damon who did the most…you would have died otherwise. "

She pulled back from his hug to look him in the eye. "What…I knew I had lost too much blood…I didn't know just how much…Thank you," she said looking at Stefan. "And thank you," she said looking over at Damon, "I'm in your debt so it seems.

"Nah, don't thank me. I think you just like getting hurt so you can have a taste of my blood, like some vampire blood junkie," he said, wagging his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes and then sat there. Stefan and Damon looked at her anxiously in the meantime as if waiting for something.

"What are you staring at?" she asked nervously. "Is there something wrong? Did something happen? Is…"

But then what they waited for happen and she burst out in tears, finally going into the shock they expected.

"And that's my cue to leave," he said with a look to Stefan as to say, 'you can deal with that one' and he left the room. He didn't think he could bear to look back and see Elena cry.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I just got so emotional…," she said, weeping into Stefan's shoulder.

"You've been through a lot, no need to apologize, Elena. You're safe now," he said soothingly.

"No…Katherine's still out there and wants revenge on everyone and she's got my blood and my flesh for some weird reason….and her maker," she said with a hazy look on her face. "I think he's out there now too."

Then with all seriousness she looked Stefan in the eyes. "No one's safe anymore."

* * *

Bonnie was halfway to the church, mentally preparing herself for the task at hand. She felt confident that if Katherine tried anything she could hurt her, but she didn't know how long she could keep it up.

Earlier she was thinking of just calling Alaric or Jeremy and telling them to not let Jenna answer her phone or anything, but she knew Katherine would just have another threat in the wings. Bonnie wasn't ready just yet to take Katherine down in the least.

She exhaled a big breath as she reached the church and parked her car. She touched her necklace briefly for good luck and stepped out into the fading light.

It was eerily quiet as she approached the front doors, but she didn't let that bother her. Overhead it looked like a storm was heading her way from somewhere. She barely reached the doors before Katherine appeared and sat herself down on the stairs.

"Well Bonnie I'm so glad we can finally just talk face to face. The last time I saw you it wasn't quite so pleasant," Katherine said lazily.

"Oh I don't know, I thought it was pretty enjoyable," Bonnie retorted.

"I don't think your ancestor Emily would appreciate how you treated me…her and I were best friends once upon a time after all…but no matter," Katherine said waving her hand. "I need you to find an object for me and obtain it."

"You didn't say anything about me getting it. I said I'd try to find it," Bonnie replied angrily.

"Did you know that I already knew that an object location spell was possible?" Katherine said menacingly. " I haven't been around this long to be so ignorant of such things. Emily could call up such things for me and they would practically fly to her," Katherine said with a sparkle in her eye. "And now you're going to do the same."

"I can't do th…"

"Bull shit. The sooner you cooperate the sooner you can go…scout's honor," Katherine said standing up and approaching Bonnie.

Bonnie was frustrated but knew she was right about getting out of here sooner. She couldn't help but shiver as she noticed the similarities between her and Elena. It was a little too weird even for her own liking.

"What object am I located?" she asked resigned.

"That's more like it," she said as she rummaged around in her pocket. When she was done she held her hand open to Bonnie and showed it to her.

"That looks like Alaric's ring…."Bonnie said. And then it dawned on her. Of course it was. "But why are you showing me this? You obviously already have the ring…"

"I need its twin," Katherine replied, rolling her eyes. "The rings were a set made by Emily herself back in the day. I don't know why she ever made them for the Gilberts, but she did and they've been handed down since as far as I know."

"Why do you need both? Hell, why do you even need one? You're immortal and…" Bonnie started with confusion.

"I didn't ask you here to question my motives. You're here to find the other ring," Katherine replied greedily.

"You didn't exactly ask me here now did you?" Bonnie said, putting her hands on her hips. She was half tempted to grab the ring, throw it on her hand and go with it, but she knew it would probably be the wrong choice.

"What if I can't do it? What if it can't be found? And what if I don't like what you're going to do once you have both of them?" Bonnie asked trying to take control of the situation.

"I say tough luck on all accounts…but I do have something in exchange for your help…well besides not killing someone," Katherine said with a smile.

"Like you have anything I want," Bonnie said with suspicion in her eyes.

"Little do you know…" Katherine said. "Do you want to see it before deciding or just do the spell and be done?"

Bonnie was a little curious as to what Katherine could mean, but she didn't want to fall into a trap.

"I have a stipulation of my own to make before agreeing to anything," she said. "I'm not getting the raw end of this deal…"

"Fascinating…let's hear it then," Katherine said smiling deviously.

**Sorry I took a while to update. I've been busy! Usually I have a chapter or two ready at a time and I can update sooner but I'm behind. ****Anyways, hope you enjoy so far. Reviews are always welcome. Cheers!**


	20. Hide and Seek

"I need you to give me your word not to kill anybody," Bonnie said sternly. "And you need to swear on it…like a magical contract with me. Then I will help you find the ring."

Katherine narrowed her eyes and paced around a bit while she thought it over. "What happens if I slip up?"

"Your life is forfeit," Bonnie said seriously.

"That doesn't sound like fun, Bonnie. I have a better idea." Before Bonnie could blink, Katherine was behind her jabbing her with something that felt like a needle.

Bonnie turned to attack, but Katherine was already back at the stairs.

"What the hell was that?" Bonnie asked angrily, ready to use her power to hurt Katherine.

"Insurance….don't worry, it won't kill you. I injected you with a form of a truth serum and my blood so that I know if you're lying to me…and the blood, well let's just say you try anything stupid, I can kill you twice," Katherine said with a laugh.

"What…"

"I've been around for a long time, kid. I've been around the block a few times. I know what I want and how to get it in the most efficient manner," she said as if she was proud of herself.

"How do you expect me to help you now?" Bonnie said in disbelief." I gave you an option and if you planned to keep your word not to kill anyone, I would help you…what are you playing at?"

"I'll make a pact with you…but as long as you make sure there's no backdoors…"

"Such as?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Don't test me….you know what I mean. Plain and simple I promise not to kill anyone you care about, no other stipulations. You can't save the whole town," Katherine said with a glare. "You help me out now and I don't kill anyone. Agreed?"

Bonnie didn't like the sounds of it because it was like Katherine was trying to get around something, but it at least kept her family and friends safe. She nodded her head and walked over to Katherine.

"I need to grasp your hand to do the spell," she told her. "And you need to say your promise out loud."

Katherine looked her over and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, let's be done with it so I can get what I want."

Clearing her voice and exaggerating the promise by putting her hand over her heart, Katherine said the pact out loud. "I Katherine promise that if Bonnie helps me find and obtain the object, I will not kill anyone she cares about...like her family and friends," she said at a look from Bonnie. "Happy?"

Nodding, Bonnie grasped her hand, unwillingly closed her eyes, and began the chant that would make the promise binding. When she was done she let go of her hand and opened her eyes to see Katherine peering at her curiously.

"You have power in you…let's just see if you can use it correctly," Katherine said wistfully. "Here's the ring. Do your thing…and remember, you can't lie to me."

"Let's get this over with," Bonnie muttered as she clasped the ring between her hands. She closed her eyes, calling on her power to find out where the ring was hidden. Her vision zeroed in on a house that had a for sale sign…she saw a house address-numbers-as the vision focused in and went through the doors of the house. Finally it zoomed in to a kitchen. Bonnie gasped as she saw a dead body on the floor, but it wasn't there long until the vision zoomed off the body and into a drawer in the kitchen where the ring resided.

She popped her eyes open and breathed hard. "I have an address, but I don't know where the house is. But wherever it is, there's a dead girl's body in the kitchen next to it…and by girl I mean vampire."

"Oh this is interesting…" Katherine said with a smile. "Is someone wearing it?"

Bonnie wanted badly to lie, but the serum was having the desired effect. "No. It was in a drawer in the kitchen."

"So if John doesn't have it...what does that mean?" Katherine said sounding disturbed. "Never mind. What's the address?"

Bonnie told her, confident of what she saw. "Remember our deal," she said as she turned around to head to her car.

"And don't forget ours," Katherine said, grabbing Bonnie and slamming her against the car forcefully. "You have to obtain it too."

* * *

When Damon walked back into the living room, Elena was sitting up on the couch drinking the tea Stefan had made her; and she was alone.

"Where's my dear brother? Don't tell me he left you alone again? he said shaking his head.

"He's finding me some clothes to wear. I need to take a shower and get all this blood off me," Elena said uncomfortably. "How are you doing?

"You're asking me? You're the one who died for a minute?" Damon said shaking his head. Even when she was injured she still thought of everyone else. The idea floored him.

"You could have really hurt yourself with all the blood you lost, too. Stefan told me what you did, and I really can't thank you enough, Damon," she said, standing up and heading over to him.

"It's what friends do for each other. Bff for life right?" he said with a fake smile and mocking tone.

She slapped him on the arm and then surprised him with a hug. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "You always seem to be saving me lately and I would have died had you not helped."

Then she let go of the hug sooner than he liked and she looked him in the eye seriously. "I want you to know that I trust you, Damon. I never thought I'd say that too you, but I really do mean it. While you aren't always tactful about it, you did the right thing by helping Stefan as well. But I owe you my life, Damon."

A flicker of emotions passed over Damon's face, but he worked quickly to hide them. Her words brought up what he said to Katherine that fateful night at Elena's.

_"What are you doing here?"_

_"A failed and feeble attempt to do the right thing..."_

"Don't get all mushy on me, Elena," he said, waving off the memory. "A thanks…and maybe some shots at the bar will do," he said wagging his brows at her and trying not to delve too much into his emotiosn at the moment. He was starting to regret ever messing with the button in his mind.

"Ha, I could use a drink about now," she said, rolling her eyes and heading back to the couch. "But there's too much to do. I have to shower and see that Jeremy and Jenna are alright…not to mention I feel like I have some sort of buzz already…it's weird," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah, our blood can make you a bit euphoric in high quantities," he said with a grin. "But if I find you sticking a straw in me in the middle of the night to get a buzz, I might get concerned."

She laughed and shook her head.

"I found you a white t-shirt and some sweats," Stefan said, walking into the room and handing them to her. "You alright?"

"Oh she's fine," Damon said interrupting. "She's a bit high on me," he said with a laugh. "I guess a little on you too, but I think my blood would have burned out your squirrel blood, which is probably good. You don't want Elena to get rabies, right?"

Stefan ignored it and looked at Elena. "I'm fine, Stefan. It's just been a long day…but I think before I shower I should tell you what happened while it's fresh in my mind, though a few parts at the end are fuzzy..."

"Only if you're ready to talk about it," Stefan said with concern.

"Yeah…It's nothing horrible, horrible or anything, but you need to know," Elena said seriously. "Katherine brought me to the Pearce manor where she grew up…where she was turned…and told me about how it happened."

Both brothers' faces dropped as they looked at her in surprise.

"Well this should be a good story," Damon said, ignoring a glass and grabbing the liquor bottle instead. "But before we get to that little gem, you have to call your brother."

That threw Elena off. She was about to question him, but he stopped her. "I promised once you were safe he would know…so just do it and then we can talk," he said, ignoring the questioning gaze from Stefan.

"I don't have my phone," Elena said. "Ugh, it must be in my car."

"I'll grab it," Damon said, hastily leaving the room.

"Is it just me or is he being like, nicer lately?" Elena asked as she looked back to Stefan.

"Whatever it is, I'm not sure I trust it just yet," Stefan said sighing.

* * *

Jeremy was antsy as he sat in the living room with Jenna and Alaric. Jenna was all smiles to be home again after such a long while away. And the mood couldn't help but to be funny by Alaric's loopy behavior.

"I wonder what will happen when the drugs wear off," Jenna said with a laugh as Alaric fell asleep on the couch after a long conversation about the comfiness of leather couches.

"Well, the pain will probably come back a bit and he's going to be thirsty and…" but Jeremy stopped as he saw the look on Jenna's face. He knew what to expect because of his own foray into meds, but it didn't look like Jenna would be amused with the information.

"Speaking of meds, Jeremy," she started. He forcefully tried not to roll his eyes and get too mad. She hadn't been able to give him her speech yet while she was away. So instead, he grinned and bared it.

"What were you thinking with those pills? Are you done? Because I'm going to do a full room sweep floor to floor and make sure there's nothing left, and this will be done weekly," Jenna said sternly. "And are you getting help? Are you going to your appointments?"

"Slow down Aunt Jenna, geez," Jeremy said, finally rolling his eyes. "There's nothing left in my room or anywhere, swear. And I'm done with the stuff. I realized that I don't want to die…I have people who love and rely on me," he said, repeating what he told himself every night before he went to bed. "And yes, I'm going to therapy even though the dude seems like a real whack-job himself."

She couldn't help but laugh at that and reached over to give him a hug. "Just don't scare me like that again, ok? I love you."

"Love you too, Jenna," he said with a sigh.

Then thankfully for him, the moment was broken when his phone rang. He crossed his fingers that it was some good news, and was relieved to see it said Elena was calling. But then when he thought about it, he was a bit suspicious if he should believe it actually was her; it could be Katherine using her phone.

"Hello?" Jeremy answered. He left the room and went upstairs to avoid Jenna eavesdropping.

"Jeremy! Are you good? Are you and Jenna ok?" she asked quickly.

"Umm, first things first, what's my middle name?" he asked, thinking of something random to ask her.

"Ohh, the question thing. Damon did the same… But trick question, Jer. You don't have one. And you're jealous because I do," she replied smugly.

"You're ok then? I was worried. Where are you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…I'm at the boarding house, but I'll be home later, ok. Then I'll explain everything. I just wanted to let you know I'm safe."

"Thanks," he said honestly.

"I guess you can thank Damon later, too. He said I should call you first since he promised you or something…weird," she said, and he could almost imagine her rolling her eyes.

"He can be a decent guy when he tries…but what should I tell Jenna? I don't think she thinks you're at the store anymore," he said with a smirk.

"Crap…um, tell her that I was shopping and got ugh, bad cramps and I went to Bonnie's and that I'll see her later tonight," she said.

"That's disgusting and TMI, Elena," Jeremy said with a groan. "Is that the best you got?"

"Well you come up with something better then…Listen, make sure no one leaves the house, ok?" she said, getting serious.

"Are you worried about Katherine?"

"Yes," she replied firmly. "Don't let Jenna answer the door or phones or anything. She won't understand why you're turning me away, ok? I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Did she hurt you?" Jeremy asked suddenly.

"That's not important right now Jer, what's important is that you listen to me and stay there. Keep them safe and I'll see you later. Love you," Elena said, and with that she hung up.

Jeremy couldn't help but to feel anger at Katherine. She had hurt her, that much was clear, but the fact that she was threatening everyone was a problem.

"I just wish I could be more useful for a friggin change," he said in frustration.

"Maybe you can be," a voice said from the hall.

**Hope you like it ****Are you guys as pumped for the premiere coming up as I am! Sweet God! So excited. Anyways, enjoy and review. P.S. The title is from a song again-go figure- it's by Imogen Heap and its pretty good for everything going on I guess. And I was thinking hide and seek with the ring and mystery person at the end. ANYWAYS, lol, Cheers.**


	21. Family Reunion

"Jesus!" Jeremy exclaimed in surprise.

"Well it's not him…you can call me Isobel," she said with a smirk.

"I remember you just fine," he said, thinking back to when he and John were taken by her a few months back. "Why are you here? How are you here for that matter?"

"Well the how it simple. I was invited in by your uncle as he was dying in the kitchen," she said easily. "And as for the why, I just wanted to see if Elena was alright."

Jeremy let the information sink in before he answered. "John…is he alive then? What happened to him? They never found a body," he said apprehensively.

"Ugh…I hate questions. But if you must know, once I was invited in, I took his body away someplace safe and did the best I could with it," she said with a shrug. "Make what you will with that information. I don't really care. Now where's Elena?"

"You can't just be all cryptic like that where….fine," he said stopping as he saw her fangs extend in anger. "Elena's safe and she's fine, but I'm not telling you where she is; I don't' trust you. Why do you even want to know anyway?"

She retracted her fangs and looked at him a moment. "I wanted to see if Katherine had killed my daughter or not. If you say she's alive and well, however, then that works for me."

"From what Elena told me, you don't care about anybody or anything but yourself…so why are you really here?" he asked. "Oh…it's your ex-husband isn't it? Making sure Katherine didn't off him either?"

With that she grabbed his neck, opened his door, and threw him into his room. "Don't presume to know anything about me. I don't care if you're Elena's brother, I will kill you if you piss me off enough," she said with a snarl.

"Hit a nerve with that one," Jeremy said.

"I was checking on Rick too, yes, but to see that his ring was in fact gone. I assume since he's all bandaged up that he doesn't have one. But I could only check from the window…" she said annoyed.

"So you're just checking in on people like a good wife and mother then?" Jeremy said testily.

Isobel looked at him in annoyance, but shook it off. "I'm done now with making sure promises are kept. Now I know for a fact what's been going on…and what I think Katherine plans to do, I want to take her down."

"And what is it that Katherine's planning anyway?" Jeremy asked curiously.

"You don't need to concern yourself with such things," she said. "But from what I overheard from you a few minutes ago was that you were tired of just being left out…not being able to help. What if I told you that you could be useful?

"And what if I told you that there was no way in hell I could trust you?" he said. If he was being honest, he really did want to see what she was getting out because he wanted to help. But he knew better than to get involved with vampires, especially this one.

"Then I'd say you're destined to just sit back and watch while the people you love die around you…not the first time for you though, huh? So I guess you're fine with that," she said, turning toward the door.

Anger flared through him at her words although she was probably right. "Damn it," he muttered. "Stop…what did you have in mind?"

* * *

"You're lucky I have GPS or you'd actually be shit out of luck right now," Bonnie said angrily as she drove her car. It was unnerving to have Katherine sitting in the passenger seat, but she insisted they retrieve the ring a.s.a.p.

"Can you seriously not even tell me what you need the rings for?"

"That's on a need to know basis," Katherine replied easily.

"Ugh….well how about what you were going to show me at the church then? Can you show me now ?" Bonnie asked, remembering what Katherine had offered before their conversation changed.

"While you're driving? For a human you don't care for your own welfare do you?" Katherine said with a chuckle. "Let's wait till we're stopped, and then I'll let you see it."

Bonnie wasn't so sure anymore if it was a good something or bad something. Either way, she wanted to be away from here soon. Thankfully the GPS system said that the house wasn't that far away. But she wasn't looking forward to getting there and running across the dead body or someone worse.

Then something occurred to her. She didn't have to actually go there to get the ring; she could call it to her when she was close enough. "We don't need to go to the house," Bonnie finally said. "If I get close enough I can just summon the ring and…"

"No. I want to go there and see the vampire on the floor and find out anything else…nice try though," Katherine said.

It was the most awkward car ride Bonnie had ever had in her life. The silence was thick, and so was the tension. She wasn't sure if Katherine would attack just for fun. But she resolved to attack back if she felt the first sign of being threatened.

"I have a question for you," Katherine finally said after a moment. "What do you think of Elena and the Salvatore's…do you think her and Stefan should be together."

The question shocked Bonnie so much she almost braked the car. "What? Why does it even matter to you? You're dead set on getting back your boys because you're a psycho bitch…" She assumed the serum was giving her a no holds bar on her words, but she didn't care. "Why do you want to know?"

"Humor me," Katherine said with a snarl.

Bonnie answered, but at the end of it wanted to kick herself because she forgot she couldn't lie. "I think she should be with someone who doesn't put her in danger or puts others' lives in danger. So no, I don't think she and Stefan should be together. I actually even think it'll end up being her and Damon in the end," she ended, throwing her hands over her mouth.

"Stupid," she moaned internally. She looked over nervously at Katherine to see her reaction, but she only laughed.

"Oh that's just funny….even her best friend can see there is something going on between them…Poor Stefan, I wonder if he sees it. Well their little development may just help me win them one brother at a time," she said triumphantly.

"We're here," Bonnie said miserably as they turned down the street the GPS instructed.

Bonnie parked on the street and got out carefully. "Let's make this quick, then."

She turned to see Katherine who was smelling around, her senses on high alert. "I should have guessed it was Isobel. No wonder she wanted to meet," she said as she walked toward the house.

"Isobel?" Bonnie said in confusion. But she shook her head and followed Katherine, who had walked around so that she was at the back door.

"Alright, your job's about done. Go get it," Katherine said, pointing at the door. "Well, I guess you can do your little summoning thing right out here. I don't want you out of my sight."

Then a thought occurred to her: she couldn't get in because she wasn't invited. And she didn't want Bonnie to do something to the ring while she was outside.

Brushing her thoughts away, Bonnie conjured up the image of the ring and started to summon it outside.

* * *

When Elena had finished her phone call, she went over the events of the past several hours, starting with Katherine's threat with Matt and ending with where Katherine sliced off a bit of her shoulder. She couldn't help but wince at that part.

Stefan gave her a comforting squeeze, but his eyes held fury. "Why would she even need that?"

"She wanted to make some Elena jerky? Who knows," Damon said angrily. "The point is that she's up to something that goes deeper than just wanting her quote, boys back."

"What I don't understand is why she felt the need to tell her story to Elena when no one else had ever even heard it," Stefan said confused.

"She said something about not wanting history to repeat itself, so knowing her story would prepare me and make her revenge sweeter or something. She's insane," she said, shaking her head.

"So she left you there by yourself after that, or did she have someone like a henchman there?" Damon suddenly asked. "We heard a man's voice on the phone and you said he wasn't helping."

She closed her eyes, bringing up the images. "It's hard to describe him at all…it's fuzzy and hazy to explain. Probably the compulsion I'm guessing, but I know for a fact who it was. It was Katherine's maker," she said, unable to say his name until the vervain kicked in to full effect.

"What? Klaus? The guy you mentioned in Katherine's story?" Stefan said in surprise. "That's too much of a coincidence."

"So she's working with him again? To what means?" Damon said, thinking out loud.

"No…the thing is, he's not. He said there was some sort of spell he had a witch do on the house that would warn him if Katherine arrived there again. That's why he popped up," she said, trying hard to remember the events. "And he said he hadn't seen her in ages, yet he knew who you guys were."

"Never seen or heard of the guy. And I wouldn't forget a name like that. It sounds like an evil Santa or something," Damon said, taking a swig out of the bottle.

Elena stood up then and surprised Damon yet again by taking the bottle out of his hand and taking a generous amount for herself. "Woo...Oh, even you could admit I needed that," she said as Stefan looked at her in surprise while Damon merely chuckled. "What sucks is that I know there's more that happened…that he told me, but I can't bring it up…it's frustrating."

"Do you remember kicking Stefan in the balls?" Damon busted out, barely able to keep the smirk off his face.

"What?" she said turning around to face Stefan full on. "I didn't did I?"

"Now isn't the time to umm talk about such things…."Stefan said uncomfortably. "We need to discuss the action. We can't just wait for her to pop up anymore and hope we're around. We need to go to her and end this; find out what she really wants."

Elena agreed, but she looked like she felt bad for apparently causing Stefan harm.

"Well she said she wants us one at a time, so let's draw straws," Damon said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, no, no, You can't just separate. That's when she'll get you or something. Besides, you don't know where she is," she said aloud. But Klaus does, a little voice nudged inside her. It was a random memory she remembered as she was passing out. She remembered him saying something about he already knew where she was….

"Unless we can find Klaus," she said slowly. "He seemed to have an idea where she was…Maybe she's staying somewhere he's familiar with."

"Since we can find Klaus…" Damon said shaking his head.

"What we need is more information," Stefan said sighing.

"No, what you need is more people," a voice said from the doorway. "Or possibly werewolves from what I've heard about them lately."

They each turned quick to the door and Elena's jaw dropped in shock.

"John?"

**Sorry if this chapter seemed slow at all. I'm building up to something larger and I just realized that while I'm uber pumped the next season is coming up, that means I need to slowly start to bring things to their conclusion. Hopefully I can achieve that by Sept. 8****th**** or 9****th****. And I apologize in advance if it goes past it. Anyways, hope you enjoy and review. Cheers!**


	22. Laugh, I nearly died

Bonnie opened her eyes, pleased to find that she had gotten the ring without any problems. What she wasn't excited about was the fact that Katherine's eyes were lit up like Christmas came early. She even held her hand out expectantly like a child awaiting a present.

"We had a deal," she said smugly.

Bonnie sighed, internally hoping she wasn't doing something terrible, and handed her the ring. Katherine grabbed it greedily and shoved it in her pocket.

"Thanks," she said as she walked over to the side of the house to peer into the window. It was ajar now since Bonnie needed an opening for the ring. Inside, face down, was the vampire Bonnie had seen. She had no urge now to go peek.

"I don't know her. I'm guessing she was with Isobel…" Katherine said, turning away in disinterest.

"I'm leaving now," Bonnie said harshly. "I did my part."

"Oh, but don't you want to see what's behind curtain number two?" Katherine said snidely. "I think you're going to like it."

She had almost forgotten about what Katherine wanted to show her. "If it's something disgusting or offensive, I don't…."

"No, nothing like that. It's completely harmless…well, right now it is at least," Katherine said, taking her purse off of her shoulder.

This peaked Bonnie's curiosity. What was Katherine so interested in showing her.

"Did you know that I saved Emily's life," she said suddenly. "She would have died had I not stopped the stupid humans from beating her to death…she was just coming into herself and her powers then. She was vulnerable…."

Bonnie didn't know this story, so she listened eagerly for more. She didn't think Katherine would lie about something like this.

"Her mother was also extremely grateful to me and from then on out, we were friends. And she had something that belonged to her mom that she, in turn, let me hold for her until she wanted to use it," Katherine said with a smirk. "I'm sure you know what it is."

Out of her purse came a small book which looked more like random paged bound with string.

"It's a bit old and not quite as quaint as books, but it's quite useful."

Bonnie stared at it both in fear and awe. "Is that a spell book?"

"Emily's mother's grimmoiré, actually. I believe Emily's itself was taken by the town or burned or something to that effect," Katherine said, waving her hand. "There are some interestingly powerful spells in here…"

Bonnie couldn't believe that Katherine was in possession of such a book. She wanted badly to touch it and read the powers inside passed down from her ancestors.

"Spells like how to kill people with a simple ritual, spread disease, cause pain…" Katherine said continuing as if those spells were the best in the world.

Bonnie looked at her in disgust. "Why would I want a book like that?"

Katherine laughed and got closer to Bonnie. "Because, the best spell of all in that book is the awakening ritual of the dead," she said with an eager light in her eyes.

* * *

"Nice to see you're ok," John said as he glanced over at Elena.

"I'd say it's nice to see you alive…but I have my doubts about that," Elena said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"And I say that it's not good to see you at all," Damon said as he walked over to john and looked him over. Then he punched him right in the face and seemed satisfied. "Yep, he's a vampire."

"You needed to punch me to figure that out?" John asked, rubbing his nose.

"No, I just wanted to," Damon said smugly.

Elena wanted to sink down in the couch in disbelief, but she held her ground. "What happened?" she whispered. "Katherine turned you?"

"I highly doubt Katherine would have turned John," Stefan said looking John over.

"It was Isobel, actually," John said seriously. "She was watching over your house that night and when Katherine left, she saw me through the kitchen window and I invited her in."

"What were you thinking?" Elena said angrily.

"I was thinking that I didn't want to die and you were passed out and dying yourself," he said, his face flickering with emotion. "So she tried to help me. She fed me her blood and tried to help the wound, but it was too late."

"So you decided to turn and be the thing you hated the most?" Elena said in disbelief, getting in John's face. "What kind of a man are you?"

John tilted his head to the side and glared at her, his eyes darting from her eyes to the dried blood on her neck. "You need to step away from me right now."

She was about to protest when Stefan grabbed her and pulled her to him. "He's not stable since he's new," he explained. "So what did happen?" he asked as John controlled himself.

"I woke up at some strange place and she told me I had died…and then she shoved some man with a bloody neck in my face and that was that…I didn't choose this," he said, sounding disgusted.

"Why would Isobel turn you?" Elena said slowly.

"For shits and giggles?" Damon suggested.

"She said it was because I would be useful," John said angrily. "And right now I can see her point, but I never wanted it to be like this….so let's cut to the chase. Katherine is out there and she needs to be taken down before she does any more damage."

"Why isn't Isobel with you then?" Elena asked in confusion.

"Well let's just say she was keeping me under house arrest. I busted out when I heard her talking with Katherine, who said she had almost killed you. I thought you'd be here," he said proudly.

"Anyways, I'm sure she'll find me soon enough. I did kill her assistant after all. She's going to be pissed," he said, shrugging his shoulders with a slight chuckle. "But I think the more people we have against Katherine, the better."

"Excuse me," Elena said suddenly. "I need to…I need a moment," she said in distress before adding, "I'm fine," to a worried Stefan.

"So you know where she is?" Stefan asked eyeing Elena's retreating form worriedly and, brushing aside the fact John said he had killed a vampire.

"No…but I know that Isobel is supposed to set up a meeting with her," he said. "She sets the meeting and we show up instead."

"I think when you died you became stupider," Damon commented. "What makes you think that Katherine would just agree to meet with Isobel and that if she did, she wouldn't see us coming? She made us," He said, his eyebrows raising. "She can sense when we're around, like when Stefan here decided to be a monkey and spy on her."

Stefan scowled at him before responding. "He's right. She would know it."

"That's why you need me," John said smugly. "Well, and whatever help you can get I guess. You wait somewhere far enough and I can give the signal and we can go from there."

They both thought about it for a moment. "It might work," Stefan said decidedly. "But we can't just run at her with stakes or something. She needs a distraction…maybe we could even ask Bonnie…"

"Oh, no, no, no. We are not having the bumbling witch anywhere near," Damon said.

"She helped us out that night and hasn't done anything wrong since th…."

"Except screw up on a spell that almost killed Elena…she may be a witch, but she's not a capable one," Damon said angrily... "Speaking of Elena…shouldn't you go check on your girlfriend? I'll keep John here entertained."

Stefan thought it over, eyeing Damon suspiciously. "Don't do anything stupid," he said to Damon as he left the room.

"He has no faith in me," he said with a smirk at John before he rushed him and grabbed him by the neck. "Now listen here you piece of shit, you tried to kill me. You killed a lot of vampires that night and while I didn't like any of them in particular, you did murder my own kind…you are not let off the hook, helpful or not," he said menacingly before dropping him gracelessly on the carpet.

"I still stand by my actions," John said, standing up. "And I'd do it again…At the end of the day, I'd throw myself in too…" he said honestly. "But now I just want to make sure my family is safe. That this town is safe."

"What do you care?" Damon asked unbelieving.

"It…" but he didn't get to finish before Stefan rushed back into the room with a confused look on his face.

"Elena's gone."

* * *

"So dad told you guys all of this and he never told me?" Tyler said in disbelief. Chloe had gone over everything she knew about transformation and werewolves and filled him in on it.

"I'm sure he would have gotten to it sooner or later, Tyler," she said. "I mean, he didn't even tell us until we started the transformation…we both changed around the same time since we're twins," she said as an explanation.

"And how about mom? Why didn't she ever say anything?" he asked sadly.

"Honestly? I don't think she ever knew. I mean, dad told us never to say anything to anyone, and he included mom in that list. He kept it secret from her just as he did with you. He was old enough to control his change, except for the full moon, as you now know," she said as explanation.

"And when do we expect that thrilling day?" Tyler asked nervously.

She cocked her head to the side trying to think. "Hold on." Then she got out her cellphone, looking through it until she found what she was looking for. "Huh, two days. Didn't think it was that close…that's funny, Ty, it falls on your birthday."

"Oh really hilarious. This is all just one big joke," he said angrily. "Why did this have to happen to us? I don't understand."

She turned serious and then strode over and put her arms on Tyler's shoulder. "Who knows why bad things happen to people…all we know is that for some reason, it runs in our genes. It's like women and their periods. Except you have to lock yourself up once or two days a month," she said trying to lighten the mood as she gave him a hug.

He hugged her back, not as amused as she had hoped. "Thanks, Chloe. At least I know now what to expect and how to control myself."

"Do you want to practice?" she said, breaking the hug and looking at him with excitement. "That way you're prepared to either keep your emotions in check and not just transform…or you could even change and try to control your thoughts so you know what you are doing all the time."

"Umm, let's pass on that. I'm not really up for that right now," Tyler said tiredly.

"Really? I'm sure I could rile you up a bit," she teased.

"Yeah…no," he said with a smile.

An hour or so later as they were just sitting and catching up, Rio came into the house.

"What were you up to?" Tyler asked questioningly as he noticed his ruffled clothes and the look on his face.

Chloe got up and looked at him in concern. "Are you ok? What happened?" she asked as Rio stood there silently.

A moment later, Rio broke out in a smile and let out a small laugh. "Oh, I'm fine now."

"And what does that mean?" Chloe asked. "You're kinda freaking me out."

"Well, I have some good news," he said happily as he strode into the room and grabbed Chloe's half-empty glass and took a sip. "No guesses?" he said as he noticed they were still staring at him inquisitively.

"You got laid?" Tyler tried.

"Ha, that would have been great too, but no," he said with a wink. "I found out where the council holds its meetings and I even overheard one going on."

"No way!" Chloe said excitedly. "Tyler, now we can burn the shithole down…well once we figure the next part to it that is…"

"What were they talking about at the meeting?" Tyler asked, though he was excited too.

"I'd rather tell you the good news first," he said sounding proud of himself. "I already set the place on fire."

They both looked at him in shock. "What? Without us? That's not fair," Chloe said angrily.

"They'll probably just think it was a random act," Tyler said angrily. "You should have waited," he said, agreeing with Chloe.

"Oh I left a message that I think the sheriff will understand," he said with a gleam in his eye. "She'll know it meant business."

"And what exactly did you do?" Chloe asked.

He gave a small chuckle before responding. "You know that Caroline girl from the bar, sheriff's daughter?" he said to Chloe, who nodded. "Well, let's just sat she had a burning desire to meet me and she was kind enough to deliver the message…too bad her mom will get it after she's dead."

"Caroline's in the fire?" Tyler shouted at him.

"Yep, and I left her with a memento that should give them a better message, "he said. "It was brilliant I must say."

But Tyler wasn't listening. Instead he was trembling all over and before he knew it, he transformed and ran away into the night.

**Sorry that I loaded it with cliffies! I'm evil, but like I said, I want to get to where I want to soon. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter and that I left you with a million guesses and questions. Haha. Cheers. P.S. Title choice again was a song by the same name by the Rolling Stones. Check it out, lol.**


	23. Never Say Never

Elena sped on in her car as fast, but careful as she could toward her house. She had a sinking feeling in her gut that Isobel would be at her house, and that meant that no one there was safe. As soon as she heard that John had invited Isobel in, she knew there would be trouble: especially since John killed someone close to Isobel.

She knew she had to just get away and make sure they were safe. Besides, she was a little overwrought with emotions. Now both her biological parents were officially the undead—she didn't know how she should deal with that fact. Not to mention she had some crazy psychopath for a great great something or other who was also a vampire. Katherine was right-her family was cursed.

"She'll never be family," Elena spat out at that thought as she turned the corner for her house. She felt a little guilty leaving Stefan and them like that, but she hoped that once he saw her car was gone, he would assume she left on her own accord.

She parked the car fast and whipped out of the car, practically sprinting up the stairs and into her house. "Hello?" she cried out as she came inside. "Anybody home?"

There was no response so she walked into the living room and looked around. On the couch, Alaric was comfortably sleeping, his shoulder on Jenna's, who was also fast asleep. Some movie was playing on the TV and a blanket was curled around their sleeping forms.

Elena breathed a short sigh of relief before she made her way upstairs to see if Jeremy was there. She had just gotten to the top of the steps when she heard conversation coming from Jeremy's room.

"It's your choice," she heard Isobel say. "But you're going to have to make it soon."

At that, Elena barged into the room and looked around to see Jeremy standing there with an amused looking Isobel.

They both stared at her a second, looking worried as they took in her appearance. She had completely forgotten that she'd never showered or changed. She probably looked a hot mess in her bloody cami and jeans, complete with dirtied and bloodied skin and matted hair.

"Elena!" Jeremy said, ignoring Isobel and rushing over to Elena. "Oh my god, are you ok?" he asked, looking like he wanted to hug her, but wasn't sure if he should touch her.

"I'm fine, Jer…what are you doing here?" she said, turning to Isobel.

Isobel looked at her carefully as if assessing Elena's well-being. "Just checking up…it's nice to see you up and about… the last time I saw you, you were lying in a hospital bed after being stabbed by Katherine. Looks like she was at it again…" she said, her eyes hardening.

"And by checking in do you mean looking for John?" she asked accusingly.

Jeremy looked at her in surprise while Isobel merely scowled. "Oh I'm not too worried about finding him just yet, though he has a lot of explaining to do…"

"You had no right to change him," Elena said angrily, moving Jeremy aside and getting closer to Isobel.

"We'll see if I made the right decision or not later…right now we need manpower, and while he's not much of a man, he's at least vampire," she said smiling and then she stepped closer to Elena, looking her over and almost smelling her. "You've had vampire blood, that much is clear. But which brother was it I wonder? The one who loved you more?" she said with a smile.

Elena shook it off, knowing that she was just trying to get to her. "What did you want with Jeremy?"

"She offered to turn me in the effort to take Katherine down," Jeremy replied honestly.

"You did what?" she said, and then she did something she never thought she would do. She formed a firm fist and punched Isobel as hard in the face as she could. She would have been satisfied with the deafening cracking sound that ensued, but it didn't come from Isobel's face.

Elena cried out in pain as she brought her fist back and saw that her thumb was at a weird angle and that a few fingers looked bent and swollen. Her eyes watered as she tried to push the pain aside. She was getting better at doing that lately because of Katherine; she didn't know whether to be proud of this feat or not.

"Let me see," Isobel said quietly, actual concern laced in her voice.

"Get the hell out of my house before I find something sharp to stab you with," Elena snarled through clenched teeth.

"I'll go, but you'll see me again." Then she looked over at Jeremy and with a nod, left the room.

* * *

Tyler had trouble focusing as his paws padded down on the forest floor. He could only run so far to town before he was going to have to force himself to transform back. He couldn't imagine what would happen if someone saw a giant wolf running through town. His only hope right now was that the fire department was at least called and would be there soon.

It took him some time to try to control himself, but the current situation made him focus all the more. He had to save Caroline. The hall could burn for all he cared, but she was innocent and didn't need something like this to happen.

As he approached the outskirts, he noticed a parked car with an open window. In it was an open gym bag with what looked like old workout clothes.

Determined, Tyler closed his eyes and forced himself to transform. He willed every part of his body to respond and before he knew it, he was standing there naked and human.

He eyed the area carefully before darting to the car, stealing the clothes, and dressing at lightning speed.

Then he hurriedly sped through the streets with the adrenaline pulsing in his body fueling him on. It didn't take long until he smelled fire and smoke in the air. That pushed him to run even harder and soon he rounded the corner to the building.

He breathed out a sigh of relief as he saw fire trucks and police cars already sitting outside. But the more he thought about it, the more he was now worried about going near the place. Would the sheriff be there? Would she think he did it? Did she even know Caroline was inside?

All the questions flew through his mind, but he had to brush them off and find out about Caroline.

Acting as if he was just jogging by, he approached one of the cop cars, being vigilant about bolting if he saw the sheriff.

"Hey, what's going on? What happened?" Tyler asked, trying to look surprised.

"I can't tell you much, kid. All I know is that there's a fire blazing inside. Doesn't seem to be any people in it," he said with a shrug.

"No one inside?" Tyler said, surprised.

"Nope. Thank God too, because that place isn't stable to even enter anymore," he said, nodding to the building as part of the roof collapsed.

"Shit," Tyler muttered as a deafening thud echoed its fall.

"What did that mean, then? Was Rio lying about Caroline or could no one get to her?" Tyler thought to himself. Then he gritted his teeth and asked the officer where the sheriff was right now.

The officer's face dropped at the question. "I can't tell you her whereabouts," he mumbled.

Tyler practically wanted to rip his head off ,but he controlled his temper and tried to keep a cool head. "Listen, my name's Tyler Lockwood: the now deceased mayor's son. In respect to my father and for all he did for this town, can you at least give me the courtesy of letting me know where the sheriff is right now?" he said with all the authority he could muster and hoping it was enough.

The cop looked at him with pity for a second before shaking his head. "You didn't hear it from me, but she's not here because she's with her daughter…she was found inside the building."

"What…you said no one was inside?" Tyler said angrily.

"No one is now…then was a different story," he said uncomfortably.

"So she's at the hospital?" Tyler said in relief.

"Yeah…but it doesn't look good...poor girl…I think they'll be calling her dead on arrival," he said sadly before turning away.

Tyler's heart plummeted as he took in those words. "Can't be," he said out loud before booking it in the other direction toward the hospital.

He rushed nervously through town, barely paying attention to anything around him. His only intent was to get to the hospital as fast as he could. It wasn't until he bumped into someone on the emptier side of town that he stopped.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he looked up to see who he had bumped into.

"Quite alright," Klaus told him with a smile as he looked Tyler over curiously. "You wouldn't happen to know where the Salvatore place is, would you?"

Tyler looked at him oddly before telling him where it was. "I'm sorry, I really have to go now," he said as he rushed on past as Klaus continued to watch him speed off.

* * *

Bonnie took a deep steadying breath before responding. "And why would you think that would even remotely interest me?" she asked Katherine, trying to sound as nonchalant as she could.

"I do my research, Bonnie," Katherine said simply. "For starters, I know that witches are taught by members of the family, whether it be passed down by a parent or…a grandparent. Now, I observed your mother a bit, and I didn't get any sense of magic from her…so that leaves your grandmother."

"Oh, don't seem so shocked. I have quite the ability of getting to know everything I need to know…and I happen to know your dear grandmother is deceased, but not for that long by the dates on her gravestone," she continued as she looked at the mix of hurt and surprise on Bonnie's face.

"Don't you dare talk about my grandmother. The mere fact that you even visited her grave disgusts me," Bonnie snarled.

"Would you still be disgusted to know that according to this book, it's not too late to bring her back?" Katherine said with a sparkle in her eyes. "That your ancestor even once brought someone back from the dead herself?"

That idea threw Bonnie for a loop. "What? No, I don't believe that. Those spells that you mentioned sounded nothing but evil. I couldn't imagine her using those."

"Just because some spells may be a little intense, doesn't make the book inherently evil," Katherine said confidently. "And I'll have you know that Emily used the spell to bring a child back from the dead and it made the mother extremely happy."

Bonnie shook her head in disbelief.

"You see, this spell isn't such a crazy thing. Emily's mother had performed it once and Emily learned from her how to do it. She used it somewhere years down the line when we were friends…you remember Pearl, don't you?" she asked Bonnie. "Unless you never met her. I just know she was murdered here."

"What about her?" Bonnie asked, not seeing where she was going with this.

"Well I met Pearl shortly before ever coming to Mystic Falls. She was many years older than me, but we became fast friends. And wouldn't you know she had one regret? And that was losing her young daughter in an accident that happened only a few years before she herself had been turned," Katherine said seriously.

"Wait…are you talking about Anna?" Bonnie said surprised.

Katherine laughed. "Yes, actually. She was telling Emily and me the story about how she missed her and would never be able to have a child…that's when Emily decided to step in and help her…and she brought Anna back."

"But you said that Pearl was older than you…doesn't that mean Anna would have been dead for a long time?" Bonnie asked, not understanding.

"That's the beauty of it," Katherine said smiling. "Time doesn't matter with magic. Emily brought her back like it was nothing and Pearl couldn't have been happier. The only thing she decided however, was that once Anna was brought back, she wanted her turned immediately….she couldn't bear the thought of losing her again."

"Why would she bring her back only to kill her again?"

"I guess you would have to be a mother to understand it. ..I never did," Katherine said wistfully. "But she said having her with her again was like being alive again. Pearl always had more emotions…But the point is that it can be done and done effectively."

Bonnie closed her eyes, refusing to take in what Katherine was saying. She could have Grams back—her grandmother, her friend, her teacher. And it was right in that book. If Emily could do it, she was sure she could too, or at least try.

"Don't you want to learn to be better at your craft?" Katherine asked as she saw the struggle on Bonnie's face. "Aren't you tired of spells going wrong or bad things happening to people that you could have prevented? You could be so much better and stronger than you are now," she suggested.

She let the words sink in, warring with herself. Opening her eyes she peered into Katherine's anxious face. "What do I need to do?"

**Sorry if this was rushed or anything. I really wanted to update today and I was uber busy installing a new starter on my car, and I'm a newbie wannabe mechanic, lol. So, it was a long day. Anyways, hope you like it and don't hate me too much for leaving you with suspense and questions! Cheers. P.S. song title again, and this song by the Fray was actually on the show once, I think like early 3****rd**** or 4****th**** episode?**


	24. Choices

**A/N: Random, but if anyone out there watches True Blood, too, did you happen to notice that Stefan's dead friend Lexi was on tonight as the girl who screwed Sam over. She can't not die in TV shows can she? Lol. Anyways, back to Vampire Diaries.

* * *

**"Lemme see your hand?" Jeremy told Elena as he sat her down on the bed. She obliged and placed it gingerly in hand. "Why would you punch a vampire , Elena. You know it wouldn't hurt her."

"I guess I was going for the effect," she grimaced. "I think it's just popped out of place. It reminds me of that time I was cheerleading and did that back handstand and landed on it weird…you need to put it back in place for me."

"What, no," Jeremy exclaimed. "You need to get it looked at."

"Seriously Jeremy, I'm not in the mood to go to the hospital. I just want you to pop it in place and I'll wrap it up later," she said angrily. "Fine, I'll do it myself," she said as she noticed Jeremy's unmoving form.

"Okay, okay. I'll do it, but I don't want to," he told her, looking at her thumb. It looked like the other fingers were just swollen. "Alright, one…two…" and on three he pulled on the thumb to put it back in place, hearing a slight pop as if someone were cracking their knuckles.

Elena let out a small moan and brought her hand back in, holding it gently against her chest. "Thanks Jer," she managed to murmur before laying herself down on his bed for a minute.

"I still think you're crazy," he said, sitting down next to her.

"I'm crazy?" she said popping up. "You're the one who was talking about turning rogue with Isobel. What the hell did you tell her, Jeremy ? What all did she talk to you about?"

"Chill yourself, Elena. She was the one who came here and nearly scared the crap out of me," he said, rolling his eyes. "She said she was checking up on you and Mr. Saltzman, and then she suggested some ways I could help fight against Katherine."

Elena growled in frustration. "How dare she just bust in here and try to get you involved in this and even suggest that you turn. She…"

"I told her no," Jeremy said, interrupting Elena. "I knew that you'd never forgive me if I turned…besides, what's the point in turning when you spend the rest of your life without the people you love," he told her honestly. "Ok, that was really, really mushy," he said with a chuckle.

But Elena's eyes softened and she reached over for a hug. "I really needed to hear that from you, Jer, and you're right. Thanks for telling me. It means a lot. I love you," she said gently, glad to know that he had a change of heart.

"Did she tell you anything else?" she asked after their little moment.

"Well see, the other thing she suggested I don't mind actually doing since Stefan brought up the same idea to me once befor…" but he stopped as he realized he shouldn't have mentioned his name.

"What do you mean Stefan brought it up!"Elena asked curiously with a tinge of anger in her voice.

Jeremy sighed, kicking himself. "They both think, I guess, that since I kind of know Tyler, I should try to wean him over to our side and fight. Let him know that I know and that I'm cool with it. But if that doesn't work, Isobel says we should just kidnap him and set him loose on Katherine in two days," he said with a shrug.

"I'm going to have a little talk with Stefan later," she said shaking her head. " You're so not getting involved in any of this. I can't have my family put in danger like that. What's in two days anyway?"

Jeremy glared at her. "I'm not some defenseless kid, Elena. Whether you like it or not, I am involved. You think I'm not a target for Katherine? You've already seen what she's made me do," he said guiltily. "And you promised I'd be in the loop, and that involves doing my part."

"Not like this, Jer," she said sighing. "But since you're about as stubborn as me, I know I probably can't hold you back…but again, why two days?"

"Because in two days it's the full moon and that is when the werewolves have no control over changing," he said seriously. "It would be like siccing the guard dogs on Katherine," he said with a smile.

"I don't think I like that idea at all," Elena said sighing. "Listen, I'm going to call Stefan and then jump in the shower. We'll talk more after and that's a promise."

"You ok, Elena?" he asked her seriously.

"Ask me when Katherine's gone," she said with a grim smile as she left the room.

As soon as she was gone, Jeremy threw on his coat and grabbed his keys. "I guess I'll be paying a visit to Tyler then," he said with a slow smile as he crept silently down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door.

* * *

"I don't think she was taken," Stefan said seriously to Damon and John. "I didn't catch any other scents and her car is gone. I just don't know where she went."

"Maybe the bar?" Damon suggested. "If I learned that my vampire mother changed my dad into a vampire, I'd need a drink too."

"Good thing Elena's not you, then," Stefan said annoyed. "I can only assume she might have gone home."

"She'll call you then," John said impatiently. "We know Katherine wouldn't try the same thing twice and if Isobel's out there, she won't touch her. Give her about an hour and then we can worry if we don't hear from her."

"Oh, no _we_ don't do anything. You are leaving," Damon said, sounding annoyed. "You did your thing, said your peace, and we'll let you know what we decide. Unless you want me to punch you again, because I can do that too"

John narrowed his eyes at Damon and decided to ignore him, focusing instead on Stefan. "We all know that it's in all of our interest to stop Katherine and stop her soon. When will you decide to act on it instead of sitting around?"

"Well according to you we would have to wait for Isobel to set a meeting anyway. The most we can do it plan some form of attack, which I don't know if you're capable of doing," Stefan said sternly. "There are two things I came up with, however, to try to go after Katherine."

"Does it involve pain and mutilation? Because I'm not opposed to that," Damon said casually.

"We could kill her…or we could throw her in the tomb and trap her like how it was supposed to happen in the first place," Stefan said with a smirk.

"Oooh, that's a little cruel and dark for you, Stef…Were you eating some feisty raccoons lately? I think I like the idea," Damon said smirking. "But then the fact that she's still alive doesn't really do it for me."

"I agree with Damon. While knowing she's rotting away in a tomb is tempting, we want the threat gone for good," he said seriously.

"Well then I suggest talking to Alaric and getting some vervain darts and other weapons, and then talk to Bonnie about having her use her powers to hold her long enough to attack if we can't catch her by surprise," Stefan said as he paced the room.

"I didn't know you had a tactical approach buried away in there," Damon said smugly. "Well, I'm all for it. I'll go check on the teacher while the idea's still fresh."

"Now?" Stefan asked, but he was already out the door, leaving him with John.

"So that leaves the witch?" John asked curiously.

"That can wait till tomorrow at least," Stefan said sighing. "I guess you can go and come back tomorrow or…"

"So you want me to go knock at Elena's house and ask for an invite to stay in the guest room," he said with a grin. "I'm kind of homeless at the moment."

"No. You're not going to the Gilberts; not with you unable to control yourself," he said shaking his head. "Not to mention they think you're dead. I'm going to regret this…but I guess you can stay here. But if you try anything I will stake you myself."

John glared at him for a bit before settling onto the couch. He was about to ask him something when Stefan's phone went off.

He let out a sigh of relief as he saw Elena's name pop up. "Elena. Where are you?"

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I just needed to get out and go home; make sure Jeremy and Jenna were safe, and they are. I'm sorry to worry you," she said guiltily.

"It's fine. I'm just glad you're safe. Are you coming back?"

"No…I think I'm finally going to shower and try to get some sleep. I really need it. Besides, I haven't talked to Jenna yet and I don't want her getting suspicious," she said. "I love you, Stefan."

"Love you too, Elena," he said. "Be careful," he said as the phone hung up.

"I need to hunt," he said tiredly to John. "You safe here alone or do I need to lock you up?"

"I'm not a child," John said angrily. "Do your business and I'll wait here. You wouldn't happen to have any blood lying around, would you?"

Stefan narrowed his eyes and pointed toward the kitchen. "In the fridge."

Giving him one last look, Stefan left the house. On his way to the woods, a thought occurred to him: Damon was going to talk to the teacher…who happened to be at Elena's.

"Sneaky little…." He mumbled out loud as he began to prowl for an animal.

* * *

Katherine appraised Bonnie for a minute, cherishing the silent tension she was building. "You help me, I help you," she replied. "And if you want, I will even make another pact with you so you know that I won't go back on my word."

"And what is it exactly that you need my help with? You already got the ring…" Bonnie asked, not sure if she really wanted to side herself with Katherine anymore. Yet again, she thought, Katherine was never going to just give her the grimmoiré without something in return.

"I admit you do have power, but not really enough," Katherine said, pacing the ground. By now it was nightfall and it was getting harder to make her out in the darkness. "So before we get to your dear grandmother…we're going to have to bring in someone more powerful…"

"I don't know if I like where you're going with this," Bonnie said suspiciously.

"Oh, I think you will like it very much. You see, I'm talking about your ancestor Emily Bennett," she said with a smile. "You bring her back, you get your grandmother back with a lot more ease. From what I know, two witches are better than one."

Bonnie was taken aback. "You want me to do a spell for you to bring back Emily…." she said thinking out loud. It didn't make sense to her for it to work out that way. Katherine would get what she wanted and there was no guarantee Bonnie would get her way; promise or not.

"Even if you made a pact with me to promise to help me or not kill me, it doesn't mean that you won't find a way around it…like making Emily harm me or do your bidding," Bonnie said defiantly. "I loved my grandmother very much, but I can't help you and risk sacrificing others to bring her back."

Katherine didn't seem dissuaded in the least. "You can think of bringing Emily back as insurance, Bonnie. That way you know that the spell in fact works and that nothing bad will come of it. Besides, Emily is your family, and that means something to her," she said honestly.

"It still doesn't change the fact that you want to bring back a more powerful witch to do whatever the hell you like," Bonnie spat back.

Katherine shrugged her shoulders in indifference. "You think you're the only witch out there, Bonnie? It's really no matter to me if you help me or not. But once I do bring back Emily, I promise nothing," she said menacingly. "No one will be safe. I'm free to kill you…unleash Emily on this town that abandoned her. On her own family today who abandons her instead of bringing her back to live the life she was meant," she said, trying to make Bonnie feel pity. "It's your call."

Bonnie shook her head, tears brimming to her eyes. She wished that Gram's could be there to tell her what was right; if the spell even worked and if it did, that it didn't bring something evil back. But Grams was dead….

She shook off her tears and straightened herself up. "And why is it exactly that you want Emily back anyway? It's not to help me get my grandmother."

"Using your brains there aren't you?" Katherine said, almost disappointed. "I have my reasons. I do honestly feel guilty that Emily died and that I wasn't there to save her; she deserved better, but I wouldn't save her…. But yes, I do have an agenda, but it's honest. Hard to believe coming from me….but I'm not looking for sympathy or suspicion," she said, getting to her point. "I'm looking for an answer: Are you in or out?"

Bonnie's head was spinning with indecision. A part of her said why not? It couldn't hurt to have a fellow witch who could give guidance…maybe even advise her to bring Grams back or not. Although Emily had possessed her, it was so that she could save the town, not destroy it. She was a kindred spirit.

But another part of her was yelling warnings at her. It was Katherine of all people suggesting this to her like it was something harmless—that she had no evil agenda planned. There was no way to tell what Katherine wanted.

"Tick tock," Katherine's voice warned.

She closed her eyes and wished she had some sign of the right thing to do. For comfort, she clasped her necklace and she gasped as a vision appeared in her head. When it was over her eyes shot open in surprise.

"What?" Katherine said with both confusion and curiosity.

Bonnie took a deep breath and looked at her seriously. "I'll do it. When do we start?"

**Sorry if I left you hanging with Caroline, but oh well, lol. There are more chapter to come, obviously. So enjoy and review. Cheers.**


	25. Bloodstream

**A/N: ;) and :O

* * *

**Elena reveled in the heat and soothing pressure that came from the shower. She scrubbed until her skin was raw and she was sure there was no blood left on her.

She had been extra careful not to scrub her shoulder too hard, worried something would happen; like it would fall off somehow. She shivered the thought aside and got out of the shower, careful not to peer in the mirror just yet. The vampire blood had healed her, but she was afraid to see if there were scars or anything left in the place.

Groaning, she realized that she had left her towel on her bed instead of bringing it into the bathroom with her. "Stupid," she grumbled to herself as she squeezed her hair dry and grabbed a washcloth to dry off a little before going to her room. As she flipped her head over and finger combed her hair, she closed her eyes and remembered pieces of memory from earlier that the compulsion had kept from her.

It was a bit hazy, but she remembered being scared of Stefan, making her feel guilty. She also remembered finding Damon and having him help her both on the street and briefly in the car-from what she could remember. He was gentler than she thought he could be and he had real concern in his eyes. She shook her head thinking of that thought. He had been like her guardian angel lately, but with the attitude and audacity that was anything but heavenly. Why was it that he always seemed to be there for her and Stefan wasn't?

She thought back to the times she had been with Damon and blanched—he wasn't the same. He showed a rough devil may care exterior, but she actually believed now that he honestly cared about people and what happened to them. He hadn't killed anyone in a long time and that was saying something for him. He was strong both mentally and physically, what with the rock hard abs, chiseled jaw, mesmerizing eyes, sexy…

"Whoa," Elena said blushing as she stopped herself. "Do I have feelings for him?" she thought to herself in surprise…"It must be the blood in my system making me loopy," she decided as she shut the light off.

As she opened her door, she turned to the right to go look at herself in the mirror before she dried off and got dressed. She decided that she wanted to see for herself that her wounds were gone, but in less harsher lighting than that of her bathroom. She raised her eyes to the mirror and looked in it, examining her neck and her shoulder, and was surprised to see that there wasn't a mark on her. She smiled and closed her eyes, grateful that she was unmarred.

"With a body like that, I'd be smiling too," a voice said from behind her.

Her eyes popped open and she turned around in shock. "Damon!" she squealed in embarrassment. "What are you…close your eyes…" she yelled at him as she lunged for her towel.

"Like I've never seen a woman naked before," he commented with closed eyes paired with a big grin.

"No, there's a difference, Damon. You've never seen me naked and you never will again," she said angrily, throwing a pillow at him. "What are you doing in here!" She thought it was really weird that she was just thinking about him and here he was… and he saw her naked.

"Oh it's safe now to open my eyes?" he asked although he opened his eyes anyway.

She stood there glaring at him and clutching the towel with her good hand.

He sighed and got up from his spot in the corner. "I actually came here to talk to the good ole history teacher, but he and Jenna are shacked up on the couch so it's a no go," he said, looking her over. "Then I thought I caught wind of Isobel being here so I came to investigate and heard the shower running; and then I thought I'd wait around to ask you about it."

"You could have warned me you were here," she said angrily. "Why did you need to talk to Mr. Saltzman?"

"Well, me and my best bud haven't talked in a while and I thought I'd check up on him. Well, mostly to ask him for some arsenal and what not, but we'll wait till he's up and about I suppose," he said.

"A big arms show down against Katherine?" Elena suggested. "Isobel suggested taking Katherine down too and apparently wanted Jeremy involved. And your brother," she said added angrily, "apparently talked to Jeremy about the same thing…But Isobel…ugh she's so random and all with her," I want to make sure you're safe…"

"That's why Isobel was here…hmmm," he said, close enough to Elena now to make her uncomfortable.

She reached with her other hand to secure the towel and winced. "Can you like wait outside my room so I can get dres…"

"What happened to your hand?" he asked suddenly. And without warning, he reached for it and gingerly brought it eyelevel with his concerned eyes.

She let him look at it a minute before she responded. "It got into a fight with Isobel's face and lost," she replied with a grin. "It'll be fine in few days."

Damon smirked and gave the hand a small kiss before releasing it. "You and your methods of attacking people. You didn't have a car handy this time?" he asked jokingly.

Elena blushed at his gesture and shook her head. "Couldn't fit it through the doorway."

"Do you want me to fix it?" he asked her seriously.

She smiled but shook her head. "I thought you didn't want me to be some blood junkie?" she teased. "But no. Thanks for the offer though, I really appreciate you looking out for me." As usual she thought to herself.

Damon was staring at her for a minute with such intensity that Elena couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're…"

But before she could finish her sentence, Damon leaned in and placed his lips over hers.

* * *

Stefan had just finished feasting on a deer when he was alerted to the presence of someone else. He leapt up into a defensive crouch as he looked around to see what had alerted him.

"Easy tiger," a man said as he came out from behind a tree. "Or should I say bambi?" he said, motioning toward the dead carcass on the floor.

"Who are you?" Stefan asked, not letting his guard down.

The man cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Well there's really no need for introductions because I already know who you are Stefan…but I'll humor you. My name's Klaus."

Stefan's eyes narrowed as he took in the information. "You're the one who messed with Elena."

"I'm also the one who helped save her life," he said smugly. "Had I not taken her to the car and driven her where I did, she would have been dead. So let's see some appreciation."

"I don't trust you enough to think anything you did was out of the kindness of your heart. And I didn't appreciate, as you say, the compulsion you placed on Elena," he said with a growl.

"Oh, but you should have seen your face," Klaus said, unfazed. "I took a nice little position out in the trees and watched the scene on the road unfold…It was precious. She's spunky, I'll give her that."

At those words, Stefan lunged for Klaus, who easily side stepped him. "Really, boy? I'm older than you could imagine."

"What do you want?" Stefan finally managed to ask once he stopped lunging for Klaus.

Klaus thought about it a moment. "I always want a lot of things and I usually get them…but now? Well, I admit I was looking to find Katherine to have a fond reunion, but that Elena had my blood boiling. It's like seeing Katherine for the first time; it's exciting and…"

But this time, Stefan couldn't take it and he leapt at him, successfully taking him off guard as he punched, bit, and kicked at any part of him he could find. The scuffle didn't last long before Klaus grabbed Stefan by the neck and lowered his fangs into his flesh.

"See what you made me do? And I was just here to chat," he said sarcastically as he smiled down at Stefan.

Stefan slowly got up, angered even more that his blood was taken against his will. "You will not touch Elena. You will not even get near her…"

"Easy lover boy," Klaus said with a smile. "If you promise not to attack me I'll finish what I came here to say."

Stefan glared and unwillingly agreed.

"I'm not here to steal your girl no matter how tempting she is…I'm here to find Katherine. She hasn't checked in with her maker in such a long time, I'd gotten worried," he said, although he didn't sound too sincere about it.

"Then why are you here? Katherine's not around," Stefan said confused.

"Oh, she's here in spirit," he said playfully. "As soon as I knew she was in Mystic Falls, I knew she would head over to see you and your brother. I figured here would be the first place to check, but no matter, I'll find her very soon…I'll leave you to your precious deer now."

But before he left he gave Stefan a warning. "Oh, before I forget. No matter what ties you make with Katherine, in the end she's mine. And if you try to hurt or destroy what's mine, I take yours…I'll be watching you all," he said menacingly. "Happy hunting," he said as he sped off into the distance.

Agitated, Stefan hurried his pace to head home. Damon needed to know that Klaus was around now, not to mention he should warn John as well. Then he would head over to Elena's with plenty of vervain; he didn't need a repeat incident.

As he was nearing home, however, his train of thought was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking inside the house.

* * *

Tyler was almost to the hospital when he heard a car pull up beside him. "Are you crazy, Tyler? Get in the car?" Chloe said alarmed.

"How are you even here?" he asked in surprise.

"Rio told me what he had done and I figured you were going to the hospital, and glad I caught you. How do you think it'll look for you to barge in?" she asked as if he was stupid.

"I don't care. I need to make sure she's ok," he said, resuming his pace.

"Tyler," Chloe barked at him. "As soon as the sheriff or any of the council sees you, they will automatically assume you were in on it…go home…and I'll check up on her for you."

Tyler stopped in his tracks. "What?"

She sighed and shook her hair out of her face. "For all they know, werewolves are only carried on through the males or something, so they'd have no reason to suspect me. Either way, no one there knows me so it's safer for me than you," she said seriously. "They might kill you. We know what they're capable of."

"I'm not going home, Chloe. If I so much as see Rio I'm going to snap his neck," he snarled angrily.

"Fine, then don't go home. Find someone else to hang with…have an alibi. Something," she said pointedly. "Just no going near the hospital."

Tyler struggled with the need to go see for himself, but Chloe was right. "Fine. I'll be at the Grill around people…but if you don't update me within the hour I'm coming to the hospital myself."

"It'll be ok," she said sympathetically. "Let me at least give you a ride back."

He rolled his eyes but obliged. There was too much nervous energy in his system to settle, but he got in the car.

A few minutes later, he was standing outside the Grill glaring daggers at Chloe. "An hour," he warned her.

"I heard you the first time, Ty," she snapped as she drove away.

Without a second thought, he strolled into the Grill and headed toward the bar. All the running had made him unbearably thirsty. But before he ordered he remembered that he didn't have his wallet. "This is not my day," he mumbled angrily as he moved away from the bar.

"Tyler?" a voice asked from the pool tables.

He shot his head up, surprised to see Jeremy and Matt playing a round.

"Hey," he said, forcing a smile. "How's it going?" he said, giving Jeremy and Matt the customary bro-hug.

"Just hanging around for now," Matt replied. "I'm meeting Caroline for dinner actually. Have you seen her?"

"No," he answered to quickly. They both looked at him weird for a moment before he answered. "I've actually been out running. I didn't want to get out of shape now that football is over."

"Like you could get out of shape," Matt said with a grin. "Hey listen man, I'm going to give Caroline a try again. Can you take my spot and finish up the round with Jeremy?"

"Yeah, no problem," Tyler said unwillingly as Matt walked away.

"He's whipped," Jeremy commented as he took his shot.

Tyler laughed and grabbed a stick. "Well it's better than being alone I guess."

Jeremy paused at that one, looking at Tyler seriously. "Yeah…you're right on that one…"

They went back in forth in silence for a while, each scoring a point here and there before Jeremy spoke up. "So how's everything at home now that your brother and sister are in town? They driving you crazy?" he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Tyler shrugged his shoulders, glancing briefly at the clock before responding. "Whose siblings don't? My sister's been cool, but Rio just liked pushing my buttons lately."

"Can't relate to you on the brother thing myself, but I know that Elena has her ways of bugging me…or treating me like I'm a kid," he said looking unamused.

"It's like he's trying to be like a parent or something," he grumbled. Internally he added " a psychopath one."

"Exactly. Lose a parent and it's like they feel like they have to take their place. It's creepy," Jeremy said as he leaned in and took another shot.

Tyler shook his head in understanding and then got serious. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Jeremy asked confused.

"Live when everyone else around you dies," Tyler said miserably, his question surprising himself. He hadn't meant to voice it out loud.

But Jeremy's eyes softened and he answered seriously. "I guess you find something or someone worth living for and just hope things get better…or you get stoned and forget about the world," he said with a smile and roll of the eyes.

"Yeah, that too…" Tyler said, trailing off as he saw Matt approach them with a grim look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked as he came over. "She too busy painting her nails?"

"No…I called her phone and her mom picked up," he said in disbelief. "Caroline's in the hospital…"

"What?" Tyler said in surprise so as to not look suspicious.

"Is she alright?" Jeremy asked nervously.

Matt slowly shook his head, unable to form words, and then he answered shakily. "She's dead."

**For you Caroline fans, I'm sorry. Don't hate me! Anyways, enjoy and review and try not to come find where I live and burn my house down, lol. Cheers. P.S. the title comes from the song of the same name by Stateless, which you might know from the season finale song. Love it. P.s.s. hope you enjoyed the somewhat longer than usual chapter!**


	26. Slow Poison

Damon didn't know what had gotten into him. It was either the booze in his system, the fact that Elena had been naked merely five minutes ago, or both. Either way, he felt the uncontrollable urge to kiss her. He had expected her to slap him or flinch away, but was surprised as she stood there…and kissed him back.

Taking that as acknowledgement, he leaned in closer, cupping her face softly with one hand and slowly making his way to curling his hand around her waist. Before he could do so, Elena leaned away with a gasp.

She backed up and looked him deep in the eyes confusion etched on her face tinged with guilt. "What…why…" she said, unable to form a sentence. Then she closed her eyes and blushed. "I love Stefan," she whispered finally.

If his heart was still beating it would have stopped. Of course she loved Stefan; he knew it. But he had to try and test the waters and see if something would have happened. He felt it there—a spark. And this kiss was different than the one with Katherine: infinitesimally better because Elena was the one he wanted.

"Are you telling me that or are you trying to convince yourself?" Damon shot back.

"How dare you," she said angrily. "I don't know what you were playing at or if there's some weird connection suddenly because I had so much of your blood, but you and I are just friends, Damon…don't ruin it," she whispered.

"I think I would have preferred you to slap me," he said seriously. "But I guess you learned your lesso about hitting vampires in the face."

Elena stood there still silently staring at him.

He moved back so that they were a comfortable distance away again. He sighed and sucked it up. "If that's what you want, I officially back off…I guess I was caught in the moment, you naked and all," he said jokingly, trying to break the tension.

Elena closed her eyes and shook her head. "Just…control yourself next time," she said before forcing a small grin. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get dressed."

"Are you going to tell Saint Stefan what I did?" he asked with a grin. A big part of him hoped she did because now he was itching to hit something, inflict pain, something to match the feelings ranging inside; Stefan would be a nice punching bag. It was moments like this that he remembered why he decided to lock his emotions away in the first place—it was too dangerous and painful to feel.

Elena seemed to think about it for a while. "I don't know, Damon…I don't even understand what happened," she said honestly. "Why would you kiss me like that knowing how I feel, knowing how Stefan feels about me?"

She was trying to get him to confess something to her; it was sneaky, but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. "My mistake," he said angrily. And then just to hurt her, he said something he knew would do the trick. "I guess it's because Katherine is in my mind lately and you're the closest to her I have. But your kiss was nothing like hers."

As soon as he said it her regretted it. Her face dropped immediately and she looked broken, but just like that, her face turned stony. "Get out," she snarled at him.

"Happy to oblige, "he shot back, slamming the door and rushing down the steps.

As he was about to leave the house, Alaric's voice came up from behind him. "Damon? What are you doing here?"

"Nothing of importance apparently," he replied. "Go back to sleep…"

He was about to leave when he thought better of it. "Actually, I came here to discuss war with you," he said.

"Ah, my favorite subject," Alaric said with a grin. "What do you need to know?"

"Oh, I don't need to know anything, I need the vital part to any war…weapons," Damon said with a sly grin that did nothing to convey the turmoil grumbling inside.

* * *

Tyler gripped the table for support as he took in Matt's words. Whatever he said next, he didn't hear because he was too busy concentrating on controlling himself. He was so angry at Rio and so upset about Caroline that he felt like he could burst out uncontrollably. He only assumed Matt said he was going to the hospital because moments later, Matt was gone.

"Jesus." He heard Jeremy mumble, but Tyler couldn't stay there any longer.

Not caring what Jeremy thought, he ran out of the place and headed for the back door and into the alley. He took deep calming breaths and tried to stay in the now, but he was finding it increasingly hard. All he could think about was Caroling lying dead on the hospital bed all because of Rio.

A minute later, the back door opened and Jeremy came out. He turned his head Tyler's way and approached him, looking concerned.

"Why do you look so torn up…and almost guilty about this?" Jeremy asked suspiciously. "Matt said she was caught in a fire…there's nothing anyone could have done…."

"Just leave me alone…I need a moment. My best friend's girlfriend is dead and she was a good person…she didn't deserve it," he said angrily, visibly shaking now.

"You need to try to relax Tyler, or you're really going to lose it," Jeremy said seriously.

"I've already lost it," Tyler sighed, closing his eyes.

"Well then make sure it doesn't happen again…" Jeremy replied. After a moment, he decided to ask the obvious. "Did you have a part in what happened to Caroline?"

Tyler's eyes shot open. "What?"

"Well, it's just that you didn't seem so surprised to hear that Caroline wasn't around and then when the news came you flipped out more than Matt did," Jeremy suggested.

"Oh, I'm not allowed to have feelings, Jeremy? Is it reserved for self-righteous pricks like you who have nothing left to lose? Why not go around making other people miserable and make them feel guilt they shouldn't feel. It's so typical, you're so…." Tyler said, building up his anger.

"What? Human?" Jeremy said unfazed. "Like you used to be?"

Tyler blanched at that. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I know what you are, Tyler," Jeremy said, getting his attention.

Tyler looked taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"I know about you and what you are," Jeremy said slowly, testing the waters. "There are a lot of things I know that are strange and unbelievable, but I get it."

"You're fucking crazy…what are you on?" Tyler said in disbelief.

"I'll admit that learning about werewolves, not to mention vampires in Mystic Falls was a lot to take in, but I guess it makes me stronger," Jeremy said calmly.

Tyler glared at him a moment, taking in his words. Jeremy knew about him. He didn't know how, but he knew. He also knew about vampires, which was something Tyler only recently learned about. Did he know about his brother and sister too?

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, and honestly, I don't trust you either, but I think we can help each other. We can work something out," Jeremy said.

"You can't help me," Jeremy said with a laugh. "What are you a vampire?"

Now it was Jeremy's turn to laugh. "No…almost was, but no….I know some, though."

"Who…"

"I can't tell you for obvious reasons, but I've helped you already by distracting you from wolfing out. Doesn't that count for something?" Jeremy said with a grin.

Tyler thought about it and he was right. He wasn't shaking anymore and he was calmer, if not teed off. "What is it that you want from me? A confession? I didn't do anything."

"Well then who did?" Jeremy asked. "I think you know…and you help me with my problem, I help you with yours."

"You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine," Tyler said sarcastically.

"Well answer me this, first. Do you know someone named Katherine?" Jeremy asked.

Tyler looked at him in confusion. "No, I honestly don't."

"Well, then it had to be a friend of yours or family that's got you so riled up about Caroline," Jeremy hinted. "Alright, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Tyler shook his head in disbelief. "You're fucking unbelievable, Gilbert, you know that? What big problem do you have that you possibly need my help with?"

"Well, there's two actually, but I'll tell you one that's closer to my heart," Jeremy said, now looking serious and angry.

"What, you need me to bite or scare someone for you?" Tyler said jokingly.

"A little more than that. I need you to kill a vampire….his name is Johnathan Gilbert," Jeremy said seriously.

* * *

Bonnie drove home with a million thoughts racing through her head. For one thing, she was really surprised that she made it away from Katherine relatively unscathed. Yet again, if she wanted something from Bonnie, hurting her wouldn't have helped her much.

Before she had left, she was able to glance at the book with the pages of the spell. The ingredients were many and complicated, but Katherine assured her she had everything they needed. The only thing left was to wait until the moon was new and full to do the spell. That gave Bonnie two days to mentally prepare for the task at hand.

She cringed, thinking of what she would be doing. Messing around with the dead wasn't something she particularly wanted to do when it was for Katherine. She wasn't going to lie to herself, though. When Grams had died, she had gone through her book for what seemed a million times searching for the very spell Katherine was offering.

As insurance that Bonnie would indeed get to have the spell book and revive Grams, Katherine made a blood pact with her—which was stronger than just the verbal contract. If either of them failed to do what was asked of them, the one who failed would convulse in painful episodes till eventually the heart stopped, or in Katherine's case, she would just cease to be. She had even promised not to tell anyone about such event coming up. It wasn't part of the pact, but it was agreed upon.

The only thing that kept Bonnie going was the vision that popped into her head as she grasped the necklace in her hands. It was so vivid and seemed to last minutes rather than the few seconds it appeared to be.

Bonnie thought about it as she was pulling into the driveway.

_Emily was standing in the cemetery beckoning Bonnie forward. She had a grim smile on her face as she waved her closer._

_Bonnie had walked forward, carefully, wondering what Emily wanted of her._

"_Family has always been important," Emily began, looking down at the grave that was hers. "Our blood ties us together, makes us strong. With family, we can accomplish many things—powerful things."_

"_Are you trying to tell me I should do the spell? Bonnie asked hesitantly._

"_The only thing I can tell you, dear one, is that everything has a time and place. Everything has consequences and everyone has a price to pay…."_

"_What does that even mean? Are you telling me no then? Will the spell go bad? Is it evil?" Bonnie rambled off, unsure of the time they had left._

"_There is a light and dark to every side," Emily said cryptically. "But if you would like my honest opinion on the matter at hand, bring me to you and I promise I will not let you down. I cannot advise you on your grandmother—our blood— but I do know this…Katherine will get what she deserves, and what she has deserved for a long time. It is up to us to make that happen," she said with a determined smile._

"_You know what to do," she said._

And with that, the vision was over. Bonnie knew then that Emily had given her a sign to be brought back. Whether that meant she thought Grams should come too didn't matter. She would ask her soon enough.

Sighing, Bonnie stepped out of the car and walked toward her house. She felt emotionally exhausted at everything that had happened.

She walked inside, locked the door, and went to the living room to see her mom watching the news.

"Hey, mom. Sorry I was out really late. Don't freak. I was just over at Elena's and got caught up," Bonnie said hurriedly, but her mom had a weird look on her face.

"I'm sorry, ok…" Bonnie started, but her mom surprised her and went over to hug her.

When she released her from her hug, she looked at Bonnie seriously.

"What is it mom?" Bonnie asked worriedly. She didn't know if something had happened, like an unexpected visitor popped in on them or something.

"Honey, I don't know how to tell you this…but…it's Caroline….she…she got trapped in a fire downtown and…."

"Oh my god! Is she ok? I have to go to the hospital!" Bonnie said in shock.

"No, you don't understand…She didn't make it. I'm so sorry honey," her mom said looking at her sympathetically.

Bonnie stared at her mom for a minute, not comprehending what she had said.

"She's…she's dead?" she said, feeling detached from herself. But before her mom could ask, Bonnie's emotional tolerance was up and she passed out.

**Hope that the Delena scene wasn't too disappointing. I thought it would be unrealistic for them to just dive into it when Elena is only now contemplating her feelings toward him. Otherwise, hope you enjoy it and review! Cheers.**

**OHHH and as an added bonus, I thought I'd add in a cut scene, like an alternate possibility that I had thought of happening with Damon and Elena. What's funny was that I originally was going to just have her dream that the Delena moment happened, but it would have seemed cruel. Anyways, here is the cut scene that never ever happened, hence why it's short.**Damon half-expected Elena to slap him in the face, but surprisingly, she didn't. She tensed before stepping away from him and looking at him with big eyes. "What…" she said confused before dropping to the ground.

((((((((((

Damon looked down at her in concern before he noticed the dart poking out of her back. His head darted up and he looked out the window, noticing now that it was ajar. Outside in the tree a man was sitting holding what looked like a pea shooter.

"Sorry to break up your touching moment…I thought she was with the other brother anyway," the man said. "Never the matter, we need to talk."

"Who the hell are you?" Damon snarled. "And what did you shoot her with?"

"Oh relax. It's just like a sleeping pill but faster," he said, shrugging his shoulder. "And the name is Klaus."

Damon's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he took in the news. "So you're Klaus…she told me about you. I'd say thanks for helping her out, but I have no clue what agenda you had for doing such a thing."

"I'm a gentleman," he said, placing a hand over his chest. "Now if you don't mind, can we go somewhere and talk before the neighbors start listening in?"

Damon looked from Klaus to Elena's passed out form on the floor. "Fine. Just let me get her off the floor," he said, turning his back and lifting her easily, but not before removing the dart from her back. He gently placed her on the bed, careful to keep her towel on.

With one final glance at Elena, he opened the window and leapt out, gracefully landing on his feet. "So what brings you to this happy town?" he asked as Klaus joined him on the ground.

"I heard there's a great steakhouse in town," Klaus replied sarcastically before responding honestly. "I'm here to check up on Katherine."

"And when was the last time you checked up on her?" Damon asked curiously.**)))))))))**

**(Are you sad that I didn't go this way? I'm not, lol.) And this never happened, so don't get it confused. P.S. title of the same song is by The Bravery and was featured on the vampire diaries at one time.**


	27. The Beauty of the Dark

Stefan rushed inside, curious as to what was going on. He followed the sounds to the living room and entered.

He let out a laugh at the scene in front of him because it seemed so absurd; like something you would see on some sitcom.

Isobel was standing at the bar with a glass in her hand. John was standing across from her behind a couch with nothing but shattered glass around his feet. It was like they were an old married couple having a dispute; the wife throwing glasses angrily at her husband.

"You know you are a vampire. You can settle things without resorting to breaking my glassware," Stefan said casually to Isobel, trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

"I felt like breaking something," she murmured coolly. "The little coward won't stand still enough for me to get near him, so throwing things seemed to be the best way."

"And why are you wanting to go near him?" Stefan asked.

"This little asshole killed my friend, Cherie…"

"Oh please, she was more your slave than a friend. I don't know why you bothered to turn her," John shot out. "I did her a favor."

"Either way. You don't just go around killing vampires," she said angrily. "Now I've lost two and I'm down to just you and it is not amusing!"

"Then you shouldn't have turned me you stupid bit…"

"Settle down, children," Stefan said in surprise. "Do you know how ridiculous this all sounds right now? Besides, there are more important things out there to be worried about. You can hit him or kill him another time, Isobel."

She narrowed her eyes at him before shaking her head. "I guess…we need all the help we can get, even if it is from John of all people…"

John glared at her but shrugged the comment off. "So do you want to be filled in on a plan or not?" he asked Isobel.

"Alright. Let me hear your strategy and I'll tell you mine," she said, taking a seat, but still shooting daggers with her eyes at John.

"Before that, I need to tell you about a little problem we've run into," Stefan said with a sigh. "Have either of you ever heard of a man named Klaus?"

He looked at both of them, gauging their reactions. Isobel shook her head, looking confused. John, on the other hand, nodded.

"I've read about him somewhere…maybe some old founder's journals or some paperwork. But it was nothing helpful as far as I remember," John said, thinking hard. "Some foreigner who moved from town to town…I only remember the name because how often do you hear a name like that and I think he was a traveling butcher…"

"Well that's' incredibly helpful John," Isobel said, sounding annoyed. "Why are you asking about this guy, Stefan?"

"This man is apparently Katherine's maker and he's very, very old," Stefan said solemnly. "He recently returned to find Katherine. To what ends, I don't know. But he made it clear that if we harm her, he attacks in retaliation."

"So, we take him out first and then get Katherine. What's the problem?" John asked.

Stefan stared at him a second before turning to Isobel.

"Older vampires have the upper hand over us newbies, John. That's why Katherine's such a threat. Now imagine Katherine's strength times 100. That's Klaus and that's our problem," she said snarkily.

"So we kill Katherine and then deal with what he does after that. I mean, he'll have no real reason for sticking around," John said. "He's probably bluffing."

Stefan shook his head. "The deal breaker here is that he's not necessarily interested in hurting a whole ton of people. He'd like to aim for Elena," he said seriously.

"We need to recruit some help big time," Isobel hissed out. "We're going to get those wolves on our side one way or another, and maybe we should start looking ahead on two fronts, Stefan.

"And what does that mean exactly?" Stefan asked, not liking her tone.

"Well for starters, you should go to a human diet. You're not much help being weak," she said with a smile. "It's like having half a vampire. If John wasn't new, I bet he could take you."

"That's not going to happen," Stefan snarled. "What's the second?"

"We recruit…" she said with a smile. "Let's turn some of these townsfolk to the cause."

* * *

Elena sat on her bed, still reeling from what had just happened. "Damon kissed me…" she said aloud in surprise. "Then he compared me to Katherine…"

She threw herself back, closing her eyes. Somewhere inside she knew something like this would happen sometime. Isobel had even told her he was in love with her. Hell, Stefan was even worried about their relationship. But for Damon to just act like that.

He couldn't have just left. Instead, he had to throw Katherine's name in her face, making Elena feel like some placeholder for the original. "Is that what his infatuation was with herself?" she thought. She didn't even know how she should be feeling.

Everything came at her fast. Once moment Damon was looking at her and the next, they were kissing. The worst part was that she had kissed him back, no matter how briefly. She told him she loved Stefan, and thinking back, she knew she probably shouldn't have voiced it aloud at that moment.

She still remembered his face for that fraction of a second looking broken. She had hurt him, which was why he lashed out at her with the idea of Katherine. And he did his job, because it did hurt. She just didn't want to admit how much it did. Turmoil raced inside her as she thought about it again.

"Get a grip on yourself," she said, sitting up. Still frustrated, she slowly got dressed and combed her hair, still trying to decide how she felt about everything. Once she was done, she looked at her door decidedly. She knew she had to talk to Jenna sooner or later, so she decided to just go now and maybe pass out after that.

As she opened her door, she gasped as she saw someone standing there. "Damon…I thought you were leaving? Don't you have Katherine to go see? I mean, I can only hold her place for so long," she said angrily.

He stared at her a second, his head cocked to the side. "I have something important to tell you," he said somberly.

She narrowed her eyes, not really wanting him there at the moment. But she decided to humor him and stepped out of her room. "What is it?"

"It's more of a Stefan duty in my opinion since he's always the one to break the bad news to you, but I figured you'd find out sooner enough anyway," Damon said slowly.

"What is it already? Did something happen?" she asked anxiously.

"It's Caroline. She's dead," Damon said seriously.

Elena's heart almost beat out of her chest and Damon looked at her worriedly. "What?" she whispered.

"Rick told me as I was leaving. We were talking about other things and he asked if I had heard. I guess they just announced it on the news. They said it was a fire at city hall and Caroline was inside," Damon said, scanning her face and looking ready to catch her if she passed out.

"No, no, no. Caroline's not…" she said in shock. "She's supposed to be safe. She's not even involved in anything. What was she doing there… what?" Elena said, going hysterical. "Was it Katherine? Do you think she'd kill her?"

"Honestly, I don't think it was. The only thing I know is that the only things that happen at that building have nothing to do with her. I don't know why she would be there unless she was peeking in on a council meeting," Damon said, thinking it over.

Elena stood there, tears streaming down her face, looking broken. "We've been best friends since kindergarten," she whispered. "I…I need to know. I need to know what happened, " she said suddenly. "Go downtown, check out the fire. Go to the hospital. Something."

"It's not safe, Elena," Damon said, grabbing her arm. "You'll hear about it soon enough."

"Don't touch me," she snarled, hitting his hand away. "I'm leaving."

She tried to get past him, but he blocked her every move, resulting in her pounding at his chest and yelling at him in frustration. "I hate you," she growled at him," as she kept trying to leave, but he held her firm. "You're not going anywhere," he repeated. "If for any reason at all it was Katherine' she'll be out there waiting."

"I don't care. I need to see her…" she cried out, and then just like that, she collapsed into sobs in his chest.

Damon looked down at her in surprise and let her have her moment, stroking her hair in comfort. But what seemed like a minute later, she was out of his arms, looking a little pissed off.

"Fine, I'll call Stefan and he can make sure I'm personally safe while I leave, because I am leaving," she snarled in his face. "I'd rather have him here than you anyway," she said as she slammed the door in his face.

* * *

Tyler looked at Jeremy in shock. "Wait, what? As in your uncle who they had that memorial service for? I thought he died."

"Well he did, technically. Now he's a vampire," Jeremy said seriously. "He happened to kill someone I loved very much. He doesn't deserve a second chance when she couldn't get one."

"Shit. That's some serious stuff," Tyler said shaking his head. "But whatever you think you know about me, you must be wrong. Because I don't go around killing people, Jeremy."

"He's not even a person. Besides, I thought you did kill someone," Jeremy said, instantly regretting it.

"You thought I murdered my mom…" Tyler whispered. When Jeremy didn't respond, Tyler continued. "Well I'll have you know that it wasn't me. You wanna know who did it? Dear old Sheriff Forbes."

Jeremy stared at him in confusion. "Why would she kill your mom? I heard she was attacked by an animal?"

"Oh she was," Tyler said angrily, starting to shake again. "But apparently Forbes finished off the job herself."

"Is that why Caroline's dead now?" Jeremy said quietly. "Some sort of revenge thing?"

Tyler laughed at that. "I'm not a killer, Jeremy."

"Then who is, make me understand," Jeremy said angrily. "What are you so afraid of? What are you not wanting to tell me? Who…"

"It was my brother, alright" Tyler said angrily. "He's freaking messed up in the head. He attacked my mom, attacked Caroline, then he goes ahead and throws Caroline in a burning building and…" but he stopped because he didn't think he could control himself anymore. He started breathing heavily, beginning to change.

"So it's your brother's fault," Jeremy said quickly. "Then, see, we have something in common. Someone— family—killed someone close to you. They hurt people you care about…that you cared about. Help me and I'll help you. It's not your fault."

It almost seemed to work, but Tyler still looked like he was fighting it.

"Listen, I know what it's like to feel like everyone around you is dying. Now you're getting a taste of it and it's terrible. So terrible you feel like you want to just shut out how you feel…" he said desperately trying to talk Tyler down. "Change into something you don't have to be."

"But you need to take control and realize that sometimes, it's just not your fault or responsibility. The only thing you can do is deal with the pieces and live for those who aren't living anymore…Think of your sister…think of Matt. They're your family, now."

Tyler slowly started to calm down. He gripped the wall to steady himself before he slid down to the ground. "This is all fucked up," he moaned as he finally gained control. "And what, did you take some shrink classes or something?

"You're telling me. I'm the one trying to talk a dude out of wolfing the hell out," Jeremy said, trying to break the tension. "And no. I'm just speaking from personal experiences. Though some of it was complete bullshit," he said with a smile.

Tyler let out a small grin. "No doubt. "Listen, I know what you're asking of me, but what do you plan to do with my brother, exactly? You want me to kill your uncle. I don't think I could even kill, at least not intentionally….I don't even know if Chloe could."

"But what do you have in mind for Rio?" he asked again. "I don't know if I could live with the fact of actually killing him. He's my brother. He's psycho, but he's still my brother…who I want to rip to pieces about now" he added as an afterthought.

Jeremy's eyes lit up and he responded. "I have a perfect plan, and it involves the second part of my problem."

**Thought I'd throw in some humor and slow the pace a tad so I didn't give anyone a heart attack, lol. Anyways, enjoy and review. Cheers. P.S. You should recognize the title of the chapter by the song by Mads Langer. It was in the episode of VD where Elena figured out about Stefan. Random, lol. But there you go.**


	28. I'd rather feel Pain than nothing at all

**A/N:** **Did anyone see that Ian Somerhalder was voted sexiest beast? Hell yeah! Take that Rob Pattinson, lol. AND did you see the new pic for the third episode of the season titled "Bad Moon Rising." Hot. And I would like to randomly note that I love how they titled it as such because I have a chapter with that title…maybe they read my work. Haha. Not likely. It made me chuckle anyways. ALRIGHT, enough of me. Back to the story.

* * *

**Elena didn't hear Stefan come into her room. She had called him what seemed like only minutes earlier with a brief sob ridden message to come to her house. Apparently he raced over as soon as he could as soon she felt the bed shift alerting her to his presence.

She had been lying on her bed all curled up when he gently conformed to her shape and held her close. "Elena…what's wrong?" he asked her softly, placing his free hand on her head and stroking her hair.

She composed herself a bit before she answered. "Everything. I feel like the only thing right in the world is that you're holding me right now," she said lightly. Then she sniffled and told him what had happened with Caroline.

"How did you hear about it?" he asked her curiously.

"Damon told me," she said miserably. She instantly felt Stefan tense. "He was talking to Mr. Saltzman about something and I guess he had heard it on the news and told Damon what had happened. I guess Damon thought I should know right away."

"I'm sure he was real tactful about it too," Stefan said stiffly. "Is that all Damon had to say?"

Elena closed her eyes, glad Stefan couldn't see her face. She didn't think she could ever tell Stefan what Damon did. No matter how mean he had been to her about the whole situation, she didn't need Stefan and Damon going at it. "Yeah…as soon as he told me I came in here and called you…I just can't believe she's…" but she couldn't say it. Admitting it would make it more real than she wanted.

"I'm so sorry this happened," he told her, relaxing again now that the conversation was away from Damon. "Do you need me to do anything?"

At this, she turned around so that she could face him. "Oh, this is enough right now," she said with a small grin. He returned her smile with one of his own and leaned in to kiss her.

It was weird kissing him after her encounter with Damon. It was familiar and comfortable and everything she wanted, but it felt off. She didn't know if it was because she was feeling guilty about what had happened or something else. Either way, she ended the kiss after a moment and rested her head against his chest.

Then taking a deep breath, she moved away from him and sat up. "Actually, there is something you can do…You can help me," she said earnestly. "I don't think Caroline's de….I don't think what happened to her was an accident and I want to find out."

Stefan brows scrunched together in concern. He looked like he was going to tell her something along the lines of, you need to rest or leave it to the cops. Instead, she headed him off before he spoke.

"I just need some sort of closure. I want to go downtown. Maybe visit the hospital. I want to make sure that this isn't somehow my fault," she said sounding upset.

"How could this be your fault, Elena?"

"If it was Katherine, then it was done to hurt me and it was done out of vengeance…I just can't sleep until I find out the truth…" she said. Then as an afterthought, she added: "But if you won't go with me, I'll go alone. I don't care if that bitch is out there. I need to know."

"I know you would go alone. It's how you are," Stefan said, shaking his head. "Of course I'll go with you. We'll figure it out Elena, but don't get your hopes up…and don't blame yourself either."

"Alright let's go then," she said, jumping off the bed. "Let me just go tell Jeremy I'm leaving."

Stefan followed her out to the hall and waited while she knocked.

"Jer?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she shrugged and opened the door.

"He's not here," she said confused. Then just in case, she walked over to his window, looking out to the driveway. "Ugh…but I have a feeling I know where he went."

And that idea made her remember something. Something that made her turn to Stefan with angry eyes.

"Before I forget, do you mind explaining to me the little conversation you and Jeremy had concerning a deal with a werewolf?" she asked angrily.

Stefan sighed, surprised that she had found out. "Do you want me to tell you about it now, or do you want to go downtown before any evidence, if any, fades away?"

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. She conceded with a sigh. "Alright, we go now. But just so you know, you're so not getting away with this one. You will tell me what happened with Jeremy," she said with a nod as she started down the stairs.

* * *

Damon wandered the town aimlessly. He had stopped a few times to compel a few willing ladies so that he could feed, but that was about all he had done. Well that, and stopping at a liquor store for some bourbon, free of charge. He still felt weak after all the blood he gave. Having "take-out" instead of his blood bags at home seemed like a good plan.

He couldn't get the image of Elena out of his head, both the one of her kissing him…and of the look on her face when he threw Katherine's name out there. He regretted it now, but what was done was done. So he did what he always did to cope with the feelings mumbling around in his head: he fed and drank. A lot.

He was surprised that his little wandering through town led him to the city hall building: or what was left of it. One side of the building still remained, but the back was all but gone. He could only guess that Elena's desperate plea of wanting to find out what happened subconsciously brought him here.

"This is ridiculous," he said, swiping his hand through his hair as he watched the firefighters putting their equipment away.

"I'll say…no one can burn down a building efficiently anymore, can they," Katherine said, appearing beside him. "I thought this town was good at burning things…"

Damon didn't even bother to react. He knew that if she wanted to start something, she would have done so already. He should have lashed out at her angrily for what she had done to Elena; for everything she had done, but he couldn't work himself into it. His little binge made him numb and he liked it that way. "Should I be surprised to see you here?"

She smiled at him, cocking her head to the side. "Wow. I'm surprised you're not trying to at least kill me or yell at me…but if you're wondering if this little fire was my doing, that's a no. If it was, there would be no building left and I'd have eaten at least half those fire fighters," she said with a chuckle.

"Then why are you here?" he said, turning to face her.

"I caught a scent on the wind…and then yours. Well, then I decided to see what you were up to," she replied.

"What kind of scent?" he asked curiously, trying hard not to examine her too closely. Although he wanted to attack her, a deep part of him still had some connection. And it didn't help that since he had just kissed Elena, he didn't want to even look at Katherine's face.

"You're curious about human affairs?" She said in surprise. "Well, I guess it's not so human this time around…smelled more like a werewolf was around. And I have a pretty good guess where to find the thing."

"How do you know it was a werewolf? I didn't think those things existed," he added. He didn't want her thinking that one was around; not if they were going to help take her down.

"I've run into a few in my time," Katherine said, probing his face with her eyes. "I don't know why you would just torch a building with nobody inside. Waste of time if you ask me."

"Were you here when it happened?" Damon asked curiously, seeing if she would answer truthfully.

"No…but I don't smell massive amounts of blood or burnt flesh, so I assume no one was involved. But enough of me and what I'm up to and blah blah blah…why are you here?" she asked, approaching Damon until she was a shoulder's length away.

"Oh, just getting a bite to eat. Getting some ice cream, giving children bad dreams…the usual. I actually wanted some smoked sausage, but they put the fire out before I got here," he said sarcastically.

"Uh huh," she said unconvinced. "So why aren't you angry at me right now, Damon? I figured that after I went after your love buddy you'd be out for my blood."

Damon narrowed his eyes at her. "If you haven't noticed, she's with Stefan, not me. Let him have his beef with you. I don't want to be bothered with his stupid affairs anymore."

She laughed aloud. "You expect me to believe that? That's funny," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But ok. I don't mind not being attacked. But let me ask you one more question?"

"Go ahead, I've got nothing else better to do than to listen to your nonsense," he said, sounding bored.

"What is it like to have feelings like a human does again," she said, getting closer. "I mean, you made such a heart-felt confession to me that night on the porch. You care about this town… Elena…probably even Stefan. Apparently you're just mr .caring…doesn't it make you feel weak?"

Damon didn't answer, he just glared at her.

"Don't you want to feel powerful?" she said, poking a finger at his chest. "All those emotions can't be good for a person. It'll get you nowhere. Can you even feel anger anymore, or do you just like snuggling with kittens now? Are you turning into Stefan?" she asked with another jab at his chest.

In response, he grabbed her angrily by the neck as if to choke her. Seconds later, he brought his lips to hers hungrily and they embraced passionately. Katherine let out a small chuckle as he brushed his fingers through her curly hair and pinned her to a wall; never releasing his lips from hers.

* * *

Tyler's conversation with Jeremy was interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. He read the caller id and answered hurriedly.

"Chloe," he said, letting Jeremy know who it was. "What did you find out about Caroline?"

But it wasn't Chloe's voice on the end of the phone. "Hello, Tyler," came a woman's voice.

"Who's this and why are you answering Chloe's phone?" he asked in confusion.

"This is Sheriff Forbes, and your sister has been apprehended on grounds of suspicion in my daughter's death, which you seem to know something about," she said with hostility in her voice, tinged with despair.

"What! On what evidence?" Tyler said angrily. Jeremy looked at him worriedly, not understanding what was going on.

"I don't need much…she just happened to show up at the hospital before anyone in town even knew what happened and…don't bull shit with me Tyler, I know what you and your family are….I may not understand what exactly happened tonight, but there will be dire consequences," she hissed at him.

"I don't even know what you're talking about…" Tyler started.

"MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD," she screamed at him through the phone. "Why don't you just own up to it? That's what you wanted, right? You wanted to send a message? Well it was received," she said, her voice almost breaking.

"I'm so sorry," Tyler said, almost breaking down himself. "But regardless of what you know about me, I swear on my father's grave that I had nothing to do with what happened tonight, nor did Chloe. You have to know that…."

"Well then you come down to the station and tell me that to my face, Lockwood. Either way, your sister is mine and if she tries to…escape," she said suggestively. "We won't refrain from using excessive force…You relay that to your brother as well," she said as she hung up the phone.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…." Tyler started angrily, throwing his phone so forcefully against the wall it shattered.

"What was that?" Jeremy asked. "What's going on?"

But Tyler couldn't answer. Instead, he let the animal inside take control and he transformed.

Jeremy stood there, not daring to move. "Shit," he mumbled.

Tyler snapped his jaws at him menacingly, letting out a low growl.

"Whoa…easy. I'm not the one you need to be angry and growly at right now," Jeremy said nervously. "Calm…"

But he didn't get to finish before Tyler knocked him on the ground with a swipe of his massive paw, drawing blood. Jeremy let out a small yell. "Tyler get ahold of yourself," he said desperately, trying to shove him off him although it was useless.

Instead, Tyler just shoved him to the ground, pressing his snarling face closer and closer. Jeremy cried out, ready to strike.

**Hope this chapter didn't disappoint. I was really really tired and almost didn't write a chapter today, but I forged on ahead not wanting to disappoint! But disappointment may be on the horizon. I will be away for the weekend for my Aunt's bday, so I will not be able to update again till at least Sunday night. So unless I work up more energy and write before I leave, I'm going to have to leave you hanging. Sorry! Oh and before I forget, the title of this chapter comes from the song Pain by three days grace. It suits Damon well. Anyways, enjoy and review. Cheers.**


	29. When a Heart Breaks

**A/N: So this will count as Saturday's post, lol. P.S. Shout out to DreamtoAspire for keeping up with the countdown to the premiere, which is in 13 days! Sweet Lady Gaga I'm excited, lol!

* * *

**Jeremy felt his heart beating fast. He knew there was no way he could fight Tyler off his chest. But he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He was about to try to kick and do whatever when all of a sudden, something came from the side, knocking Tyler off of him.

"What the…" Jeremy said, shooting up. He looked around the alley in shock. Tyler was still snarling and growling, but this time his anger was directed at the second wolf crouched in front of him. Jeremy could only assume it was his brother.

If his brother's attempt was to calm him down, he was failing miserably. His mere appearance only seemed to piss Tyler off more. Before Jeremy knew it, they were fighting each other, scratching and biting in a whirlwind of motion. He wasn't sure how long it would be until someone decided to come out and investigate.

"Guys," Jeremy said, finding his voice. "I don't know if you realize this, but you're kind of in a public place. Break it up."

He felt kind of stupid saying it to them, but it was the only thing he could think of besides throwing rocks at them—which he thought would only piss them off. He could only imagine what it would look like if someone watched him yelling at some wolves to stop fighting.

Rio looked over at Jeremy, and if Jeremy didn't know any better, it was a look that said 'obviously.' Then as if trying to contain the situation,Rio clamped down hard on Tyler's neck, his teeth sinking deep and drawing blood.

Jeremy winced, thinking of how that had to hurt. Tyler responded by letting out a small howl. A moment later, Tyler seemed to almost spazz out. His movements got all jerky and before Jeremy knew it, he was looking at a naked, bloodied Tyler.

"Jesus," he said, turning his head away. Thinking quick, he took his coat off and threw it over Tyler before examining the blood from his neck. But before he looked too long, he heard a growling behind him.

He turned around, not knowing what to expect from Rio. But, Rio simply nodded his head at Tyler, then to Jeremy, then to the street. Jeremy took that as a hint to take him somewhere.

"I don't know if you realize this, but he's kind of naked, and my car's a little bit away. I'm not carrying a naked dude to my car," Jeremy said indignantly.

Rio just growled at him threateningly, showing his teeth.

"Fine…let me at least pull the car up to the alley. Can you stay with him?" he asked, still feeling stupid for talking to a wolf. Without waiting for an answer, Jeremy booked it as fast as he could for his car, grateful no one was on the street.

A minute or two later, Jeremy pulled up as close as could to Tyler. Rio gave him one last look before taking off.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. Grimacing, he grabbed Tyler's unconscious body off the ground and dragged him unceremoniously to the car. He was only glad that Tyler's neck didn't look bad enough to need a hospital.

"You so owe me," Jeremy groaned as he backed up and left the alley. He knew he couldn't take him to his house. He could only assume Rio wanted him home. Whether that was what Tyler wanted, Jeremy didn't know. But getting out of there was his first priority. "Guess we're going to your place," he muttered as he drove faster.

* * *

"Do you think we'll find anything useful there? Some hint that could tell us what happened?" Elena asked hopefully as she drove downtown.

"If Katherine was there, I'll be able to tell…if not, I guess we go to the hospital…" Stefan said. "But…I think that if we want some real answers, we would have to ask Sheriff Forbes. Maybe Damon will hear something since he's a council member…"

"I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered," Elena said angrily. "Let's just see if we can find out something here…I need to work up to seeing Caroline's mom, anyway."

Stefan looked at her weirdly at her dismissal of Damon. It wasn't like her to throw him off like that. He was going to question it, but thought better of it.

On the way, Elena saw a familiar car zoom by her. "That was Jeremy," she said in confusion , looking out her rearview window. "I wonder what he's up to…if he was with Tyler… I swear if he gets hurt in any of this, I blame both you and Isobel for putting the idea in his head."

"I was going to tell you," Stefan said. "But everything happened so fast. I had just talked to him about it at the hospital, and then you ran into Katherine in the parking lot….a lot of things happened," Stefan said as an explanation.

"And I suggested that he become friends with him so that we could get Tyler on our side. I know it was risky and you have every right to be mad, but I think this will actually be helpful for him," he said carefully.

"What?" she said angrily. "You think him hanging around someone who can explode into a wolf and attack him is healthy, how?"

"It gives him something to do, Elena. It's a distraction…if you were told to just sit around and let everyone handle it, you wouldn't sit out," he said. "It's better than him mourning Anna and every other bad thing that's happened."

Elena's eyes softened as she took in his words. Stefan sighed in relief, glad to see that her anger had abated.

"I can still not like it, though," she said stubbornly with a smile. But the smile was gone as soon as they neared the ruined building.

Swallowing hard, she parked the car a half block away and looked at Stefan. "Ready?"

He nodded and they both got out of the car, heading toward the burned remains. "You sure you can be here?" Stefan asked in concern. Elena looked pale as she saw the damage. He felt pity for her. She had gone through so much and now to lose Caroline and be where she was last alive…it had to be painful for her.

She nodded her head at him, unable to speak, and grasped his hand as they walked toward the building.

After a minute or so, Elena looked over at Stefan, almost worried to ask him the question. But she knew she had to ask it anyway. "Well…was Katherine around? Or do you need to be closer to the building?"

Stefan merely shook his head. He caught Katherine's scent, it was recent though: too recent to have been involved with the fire. What disturbed him, however, was that her scent was coupled with Damon's. They had both been close by recently, but why? What was Damon up to?

"What?" Elena asked anxiously.

"I don't catch anything of Katherine around here," Stefan said. He decided to skirt over the truth a bit. He was pretty sure she wasn't involved, but if he even mentioned Katherine was around, Elena would think the worst. Not to mention that he didn't know how Damon was involved either.

"Let's get closer," she whispered. They took a slow pace until they finally reached it. By this time, there was only one cop car left at the scene; everyone else had packed up.

Elena approached the cop, surprising Stefan. "Excuse me…can you tell me what happened? Do you know what caused the fire?"

She looked at them both suspiciously. "I can't reveal anything pertaining to the fire. I'm sorry. All you need to know is that it was contained. It could have been worse…"

"I'd say a young girl dying is bad enough," Elena choked out. "Can't you just please tell me anything? She was my best friend. I know her mom, Sheriff Forbes. Please."

Stefan looked at her sadly before looking at the cop, who looked like she wasn't going to budge. But as soon as he had her attention, he stared her deep in the eyes.

"What happened here tonight?" he demanded. "Tell me…"

Elena turned around in surprise to see Stefan's hold on the woman.

"We got a call that there was a fire raging out of control. The Sheriff was first on the scene…I guess her daughter had texted her to meet her here," the cop began. "From what I saw, the girl looked pretty mangled."

Elena gasped, putting her hands on her knees. Stefan reached for her, but she waved him away. "Keep going," she choked out.

"Do you mean burned?" Stefan asked confused.

"No…" the cop said in a monotone. "Mangled. She looked like she had been clawed up, almost bitten or something. She was bleeding out like crazy and there was a knife sticking…"

"Just stop…" Elena gasped. " I can't, I can' t breathe," she said, and she took off as fast as she could to the town square.

He looked at her in concern, wanting to follow, but he wanted to find everything out.

"Did the sheriff say anything important about it all?" Stefan asked quickly, not wanting Elena out of his sight for too long. "Did she have any idea on who it was?" he asked, even though he already had an idea.

The cop shook her head slowly, still under his trance. "Yeah. She mentioned that she knew who it was and that they would get what was coming to them…she mentioned the Lockwoods."

* * *

Bonnie woke with a start, surprised to find herself on the couch. She didn't remember going to the couch. What happened? And then it hit her: Caroline was dead. It was so unreal even now she couldn't believe it.

"Hey baby," her mom said, coming into the room.

"Mom…what happened? How?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Here, drink this and I'll tell you what I heard," she said, handing Bonnie a bottle of water.

When her mom was done, Bonnie had tears streaming down her face. After a few minutes she was able to talk. "I wish this never happened…I wish she was still alive…" Bonnie said sadly.

Then the idea occurred to her…maybe she could be alive again. If the spell with Emily went as planned, maybe she could help her get Caroline back. She wouldn't be dead long, maybe it would be easy. She was so busy thinking things through in her head that she didn't even hear her mom talking.

"Bonnie," her mom said gently. "Are you listening to me?"

"Sorry…go on."

"I know it's hard and that we don't always know why people are taken from us too soon," her mom started. "But it's the way of life. As soon as you're born, you start dying. You just have to make the most out of everything that's given to you every day. Live like it's your last."

Bonnie closed her eyes, letting the tears flow.

"And I think Caroline was one of those who lived every day as fully as possible," her mom continued. "I know it was sudden and terrible, and I'm sorry. I'm here for you if you need me."

Bonnie nodded in gratitude. "I'm going to go to my room. I need to be alone."

And with that, she rushed up the stairs and shut the door. Looking around her room, she noticed a few of her possessions that Caroline had given her. Her eyes teared up, but she slowly blinked them back. A part of her wanted to know what really happened. Like why she was in that building?

Closing her eyes, she headed toward the last thing that Caroline had given her; an old anklet of hers that Bonnie had admired.

"_It's ancient. I haven't worn it in like, six months,_" she remembered Caroline telling her as she gave it to Bonnie.

Resolutely, she grasped the bracelet and focused. She remembered reading something in Grams book about bringing on past images, not only future ones. She usually could tell where a person was or what was happening at the moment by touch; that was clear when she had the vision of Elena.

This time, she focused on thinking in reverse on the night; see what really happened. As soon as she focused hard, the images came at her faster than she thought, reversing a long ways. She struggled to slow them down enough, finally concentrating on just looking at the past few hours. Finally, she was able to control the images so that it was easier to understand.

When all the images were gone—when she saw Caroline's heart monitor go flat in the ambulance— she gasped out, falling to her knees. "Oh my god…Oh my god…" she said in horror, before curling herself into a ball on the floor.

But soon enough, she was on her feet. She reached out for her phone, dialing Elena's number, anger now boiling through her. Now that she knew how it all happened, she was all for revenge.

"If Damon can't spill a single drop of blood, wait till the Lockwoods see what I can do when they take a life," she growled as she waited for Elena to pick up.

**Alright, so I wrote this kind of fast because I'm about to leave for the weekend. But this means that I don't really miss a day. It's just me posting 2 chapters in one day. So I think I will be caught up, haha. Anyways, hope you like it and didn't think it was terrible or anything. Enjoy and review, and have a great weekend. Cheers! P.S. title is from the song of the same name by S..**


	30. Breakdown

**A/N: Cheers to the 30th chapter!

* * *

**Damon looked up into Katherine's brown eyes that were alight with passion. She just finished taking from his neck and was licking her lips in pleasure before she got off of him and laid down beside him, cuddling her head into his chest.

He couldn't help but to compare the way her head fit on his chest to that of Elena's, which had been nestled there only hours earlier as she cried. There were a lot of comparison's he had tried to make tonight between her and Katherine, from their deep brown eyes to their silk hair and smooth skin. But in everything, Elena always seemed to come out on top; her face was softer, no harshness in her eyes, etc.

But as soon as he tried any comparison, he would lose himself in Katherine again, who greedily helped him forget his troubles. When it came down to it, he thought, why make comparisons between someone you can't have and someone you can. He had his first love in a bed again after over 145 years…that thought alone should have been enough for him. He shouldn't have had a wandering mind.

"I've missed you, Damon," she murmured as she stroked her hand on his chest. "I forgot how fierce you could be…but I can only wonder what finally convinced you to come back to me," she said suspiciously.

"I guess I was getting bored, how did you put it? Snuggling with kittens. This town life can get real dull real fast. Besides…who said I was coming back to you?" Damon replied coolly.

This caused Katherine to get up so that she could look him in the eyes. "I would say that you in bed with me is a pretty clear showing of your choice…"

"I'll screw pretty much any woman, precious. Just because I chose to sleep with you doesn't mean I'm coming back to you," Damon said with a glare. "Especially when you've never been able to make one simple choice yourself."

"And what's that supposed to mean," she hissed angrily.

At this, he got out of bed and started to put his shirt on. "Meaning, even after a hundred and 45 fuckin years, you still haven't made your decision on who you want…You came here for your boys?" he said with a sneer. "Please. You may be in good in bed, but that's all. You're a cowardly little girl who just wants to play with her dolls. When it comes down to it, this is just a game."

At that, she pounced on him, slamming him against the wall, his neck harshly in her grasp. But moments later, she relaxed her grip, cocking her head to the side. "You see, you've got me all wrong, Damon."

"Uh huh…I'll eat a goat if I'm wrong…well, that's more of a Stefan thing, but I digress…"

Then she giggled and stepped away from him to get clothes on herself. "You think I haven't made my choice after all these years? I made my choice the day I met you boys…"

That threw Damon for a loop. "I don't think both of us would be around and kicking all these years later if you had chosen."

"Oh, this is delicious," she said sneering. "My choice? It was neither of you. You were both my play toys: my puppets. You were both fun and exciting…and expendable…One of the reasons I even left you was because I realized I would never be able to control you ever again," she said with a laugh. "Compulsion only works on mortals, as you know."

Damon's face dropped as he took it in. She had never loved either of them. They were nothing but meals; they had died because she hadn't finished her play time before it was time for her to go.

"As soon as I saw both of you get shot, I knew that our time was up…but, do you want me to be completely honest?" she said getting in his face.

"I didn't think you had an honest bone left in your body," Damon snarled, furrowing his brows and trying not to let her harsh words bother him further. "But enlighten me."

"If I had to choose, truly, it would have always been Stefan," she said with a harsh laugh. "So while you thought that tonight you would just play around with me…remember who was always pulling the strings…and who I wished I had in my bed tonight."

Damon shook, balling his hands into fists. Inside, he tried to fight with himself that he didn't care. After all, he had only wanted some sort of release in Katherine. But he also couldn't deny that a part of him was looking for something better. He was tired of being broken and played around with…what was he…human?

"Well here's a newsflash for you, sweetie," he said, grabbing his jacket and heading to the door. "I will take you down and personally drive the stake into your heart someday; I can promise you that. You're not using it anyway. You're words are as shallow as your personality. "

"Oh, and just so you know, "he said, opening the door. "You weren't the one I was thinking about as I made love to you…stir that around in your pot, bitch." And with that, he slammed the door, leaving behind a pissed-off vampire in his wake.

* * *

Elena had her head between her knees and she was taking deep breaths. Hearing how Caroline died was a little more than she could take. She could only imagine how scared and how much in pain Caroline had to have been. And it was all from some werewolf vendetta? Why? What had Caroline ever done to them?

She felt Stefan approach and she slowly brought her head up. "Sorry I bolted…it was just too much."

He sat down next to her and put his hand around her shoulder, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "It's understandable. She was your best friend. But can you think of any reason why the Lockwoods would attack Caroline?"

"That's the thing…I can't. The only relation she had to Tyler was that he's Matt's best friend," she said, shaking her head. "And she didn't know the brother or sister."

"Well the only theory I have is that maybe Caroline's mom did something to piss them off enough to take revenge on Caroline personally," he said, trying to figure things out. "Obviously the sheriff knows they did it, so there has to be some connection there on why they did it."

Then Elena got angry, balling her hands up and looking at Stefan seriously. "I don't care why they did it, I want to know what we're going to do about it…they're not getting away with this."

"I know…I think we need more information, though. We need to find out from the sheriff what she knows, and that means we ask Damon," he said thoughtfully.

"Alright. Then we call him," she said, resigned. "But no matter the reason…I think we go with the second part of Isobel's plan. We kidnap Tyler and whoever else and release them on Katherine…maybe she can take one down on the way," Elena said, breathing fast. She had never wanted anyone dead before or wished them that much evil, but this time was different.

Even Stefan took a second to look at her seriously. "Are you sure about this? It doesn't sound like you."

"What, does it sound like Katherine?" She shot out angrily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," she said at the look on his face. "I'm just upset…"

"You could never be anywhere near to what she is, Elena. I understand you're hurting. But I think what doesn't help is that you have a whole lot of Damon's blood pulsing through you…it may make you a little…edgy," he suggested.

"Great, so I'm acting like Damon. Should I go grab a bottle of bourbon and mess up my hair," she said sarcastically before she let out a small smile.

"And buy a leather jacket," he said with a grin. "I think you need to sleep everything off and think with a cool head. But speaking of Damon, we should call him."

But before either of them reached for a phone, Elena's went off. She scrunched her eyes in surprise and picked up, seeing that it was Bonnie.

"Hey," Elena answered.

"Did you hear?" came Bonnie's voice, which sounded both pained and angry.

"Yeah…" Elena whispered. "As soon as I heard I had to go where she….where…I'm in town-square. Stefan and I just questioned a cop about what happened."

"Oh, I know exactly what happened," Bonnie replied harshly. "It was Rio Lockwood's doing…I'm not going to tell you what you did because I can't even repeat it…but it was terrible," she ended with a whisper."

"How do you know?" Elena asked, sounding both surprised and upset.

"I had a vision…but now isn't the time to talk, it's the time to act," Bonnie said, getting her voice back. "He murdered mercilessly and this has to stop. Soon it will be the full moon and they'll probably kill innocents again…and they have to pay."

"But you said it was only Rio," Elena asked, confused.

"They're all werewolves, Elena. They each had a part to play in what happened to Caroline. I only ask if you're with me on solving the problem," Bonnie said seriously.

"Bonnie. You can't just take revenge against al for one person—one animal's—decision," Elena said angrily. "I want to take him down just as much as you do, but not Tyler and his sister if they had nothing to do with it."

There was silence on Bonnie's end before she decided to reply "It runs in their blood to be cold hearted…and we don't know that Rio necessarily acted alone. But I have an idea on taking them down and I'll do it by myself if need be. Can we meet to talk about it?"

Elena looked at Stefan who nodded his head. "Where do you want to meet?"

* * *

Jeremy pulled up to the Lockwood house, unsure if this was where he should have gone. But his guess was rewarded when he saw Rio emerge from the house and waving him to the garage. Thinking now, he probably shouldn't have brought him here. After all, they had just discussed how Rio was a killer. He didn't know if he should he around him right now. Hell, ever.

But, he was here regardless, so he decided to trudge on and do his part. He parked in the garage, shut off the engine, and waited for Rio.

"Thank you," Rio said earnestly as he opened the back door and lifted Tyler up easily.

Jeremy opened the house door to let him them inside. They made their way to the living room where Rio had a blanket laid out on the floor next to a first aid kit. He laid him down there, throwing a blanket over him and started dressing the wound on his neck.

"I'd say thank you for saving me from him…but, I think you did more damage to him than he did to me," Jeremy said, looking down at the claw mark that had already closed up.

"He would have ripped your chest to pieces," Rio said, shaking his head. "This is nothing," he said with a nod to Tyler's neck. "He healed the last time I attacked him, he'll be fine now."

"You attacked him before?" Jeremy asked in confusion.

"Long story, but yes. Someone had to keep him in check. Now can you tell me what the hell happened when he decided to transform? And I assume you're not surprised or you wouldn't have reacted so calmly," Rio said as he finished cleaning the wound and was now working on wrapping it.

"Yeah…I know about your family. It's weird, but not unbelievable,' Jeremy said calmly. He didn't want Rio to do something stupid or kill him. He had already gone after Caroline; he didn't know how he'd react now. "And Tyler umm, freaked out after talking on the phone. He got really angry."

"Do you know who he was talking to? What it was about?" Rio said, finishing up the dressing.

"I know who he was talking to, but I don't know what made him so angry. I couldn't hear the conversation completely, but I think I have the gist," Jeremy said carefully.

"What?" Rio asked, now turning his full attention to Jeremy.

"If I tell you, are you going to get mad and try to kil…attack me too?" Jeremy said, catching himself.

"I have years more experience; I won't react as he did. Now tell me," he said seriously.

"Well it sounded like he was talking to Sheriff Forbes and from the sounds of Tyler's argument, it had to do with her taking Chloe for what happened tonight and he was going on about how she had no reason…" Jeremy said, gauging Rio's reaction.

Rio's face turned red in anger. "She's so stupid. What was she doing even near the sheriff. There's no cause for taking Chloe. Did Tyler say why she took her in?" he asked, composing himself.

"No. That's when he freaked out," Jeremy said, his eyes darting to Tyler to see if he was ok.

"Fuck," Rio said, reminiscent of Tyler's last outburst before he transformed. "This is faster than I expected. If they'd only have stayed here and listened…"

Now he was making Jeremy nervous. Why would he talk about this with him standing there? He had to get out of there or get Rio out. Either way, Jeremy felt nervous now.

"Well, why don't you go down to the station and figure out what's going on. I mean, your father was the mayor. Your name has pull. Find out what bogus reason they have," Jeremy suggested quickly." I'll keep an eye on Tyler."

Rio looked at him suspiciously as he thought it over. "What is your role in all of this, Gilbert was it?"

"I'm just trying to help Tyler out," Jeremy said lamely. "But I can go if you'd prefer."

"Oh no. You're not going anywhere," Rio said, standing up to look Jeremy in the eyes. "I want to know what you're up to…and one more thing….what's your relationship with the Salvatores?"

Jeremy looked at him both surprised and nervous as Rio got in his face with angry eyes.

**Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I got back uber late and was exhausted. But as promised, here's the chapter with even maybe 400 more words than usual. So, hope you enjoy and review. Normal updates should resume as far as I know, lol. Hope Damon and Katherine's final fight was enough to make up for your anger that he was with Katherine, lol. And the title for this chapter is a song by Seether just for Damon. Cheers. Oh and does anyone know if there is a chapter limit in fanfic? Like, should I continue this story in another story? I don't really know how long this is going to be, lol!**


	31. Use Me

"Excuse me?" Jeremy asked, backing away from Rio. "I can leave when I want. I was just trying to help out…and that's a totally random question to ask about the Salvatores. The only reason I know either of them is because Elena's dating Stefan."

Rio narrowed his eyes, clearly teed off by Jeremy's dismissal, but he relaxed some as he saw that Jeremy was cooperating. "Do you know anything about them, specifically Damon?"

Jeremy thought it was weird that he was interested in them, now. The only thing he could think of was that he was maybe questioning if they were vampires or not. "Umm, I know that he's Stefan's older brother and that he's like his guardian, but that's it. Why do you want to know?"

Rio paced the room a bit, thinking. "You're a Gilbert…You know about the council, right?"

"Umm, sort of. My Uncle John mentioned it to me once, but it wasn't anything in depth," Jeremy replied, not knowing where Rio was headed.

"Well I'm just curious as to how Damon got onto the council…" Rio said, still pacing.

"Isn't he like, one of the founding families? That pretty much entitles you to a seat, right?" Jeremy said, taking a guess.

"Hmmm…it just doesn't add up. I want to know what his story is…" Rio said angrily. "Alright…I think I'm going to take you up on your offer to babysit Tyler. Just try not to piss him off. I have some…business to take care of."

Jeremy didn't like the sound of that. For all he knew, Rio was going to wolf out and go on a rampage to get his sister out. He couldn't let that happen. "On second thought, why don't you just wake him or wait for him and you can go get her out together…or…"Jeremy said hesitantly. "I could go with you for support. You said so yourself that Tyler will be fine."

Jeremy reasoned that maybe if he had Tyler, he maybe wouldn't go crazy and that if he had himself, then he wouldn't want a witness. It was a precarious situation either way, but he felt stuck in the middle.

"What help do you think you could possibly bring?" Rio said with a sneer.

"Well, I happen to know the Sheriff and some of the people in the office. You may be a Lockwood, but you haven't been around to know the people. Maybe I can reason better," Jeremy suggested.

"You might have a point….ok, but Tyler stays here. He's not going to be happy to see me when he wakes up anyway," he said lazily. "You want to drive?"

'Oh sure, I'd love to drive a psycho killer around in my car. It's how I get my shits and giggles for the day,' Jeremy thought to himself before responding. "No problem."

Rio's eyes lit up with a weird look that made Jeremy internally cringe. "Let me just grab my stuff inside," he said, going toward the kitchen.

While he still had a chance, Jeremy whipped out his cell phone with a quick text to Elena. **With Rio going to police station. Come if possible. **He put his phone in his pocket just in time to see Rio come back in.

"Ready?" he asked as he looked at Jeremy suspiciously.

"Yeah," Jeremy said with a slight nod. He gave Tyler one last worried glance before he headed toward the garage.

"How did Tyler talk to the sheriff anyway?"Rio asked curiously as they were walking.

"Umm, he said Chloe was calling…but I guess she was using her phone," Jeremy said with a shrug as he went to open the car door.

"Good to know," Rio replied before he grabbed a wrench off the shelf and whacked Jeremy hard across the back of the head, rendering him unconscious.

* * *

Elena let Stefan drive her car back. She didn't feel like she could be behind the wheel right now after everything she learned. She was going to be meeting up with Bonnie at the boarding house within the hour, so they headed there now.

"I hope this meeting is short and that we convince her to not go too crazy," Elena said to Stefan. "I could use some sleep…"

"We could always lock her up in the cells in the basement," he suggested with a grin.

"tempting…but I actually want to hear a plan. Maybe there's some werewolf reversal spell to make him less dangerous," she said with a shrug.

"So you've gone off the let's kill him path?" Stefan asked with raised brows.

"I'm not opposed to throwing him to Katherine, but I can't think of actually killing him…." she said, closing her eyes. "But it's not like he can be thrown in jail. Can you imagine the damage he'd inflict?"

"We'll figure it out," Stefan said with a grim smile.

They just arrived at the boarding house when Elena's phone went off. She opened it and read the text from Jeremy. "oh my god, Stefan….we have to go to the police station. Jeremy's with Rio…he said to come," Elena said panicked.

Stefan stared at her in concern a moment before looking around the driveway. He noticed Damon's car and let out a sigh. "You go inside. Damon's here and can keep an eye on you. I promise I will make sure he's safe."

She was going to argue with him that she was going with him, but Stefan head her off. "If Jeremy's in trouble, I can't worry about protecting you too, besides any other possible people around, Elena. Please. I will help him."

She nodded her head quickly, giving him a quick kiss before she got out of the car. She watched him drive away before she hurriedly got inside.

As she headed for the living room, she heard loud music blaring from upstairs. Curious, she walked up the stairs and hesitated outside of Damon's room. Some rock song Elena didn't know was thumping.

"He's probably wasted," she said, shaking her head. She couldn't help but to feel that his behavior was her fault. She had kissed him back and then told him how she loved his brother and preferred him, and etc. But it's not like she had asked for it, nor the harsh words from him either.

But if they had to work together, she had to somehow put it behind and move on. She raised her hand to knock on the door when she heard Damon's voice.

"I hear you creeping behind the door. Just come in already," he yelled above the music.

Sighing, she opened the door. She wasn't really surprised to see Damon, shirtless, with a bottle of whiskey in his hands apparently dancing to the music. She couldn't help but to look down at his abs before resting her eyes on his face.

"We need to talk," she yelled above the music.

"No…we need to dance," he responded, rushing up to her and grabbing her arm as to spin her.

"Damon," she complained as she was spun around. But he ignored her, instead opting to dance close to her, his eyes never leaving hers. She thought he danced pretty well for being so sauced, but that wasn't the important thing to think about at the moment.

Getting out of his grasp, she went over to his stereo and shut off the music.

"Ohh. Every party needs a pooper," he said with a mock grimace.

"What is your problem?" she said to him angrily.

"Right now? It's no music, an empty bottle, and an unwilling dance partner," he said, shaking his head.

"Seriously, Damon. People are in danger out there. They are dying; they are risking their lives. And what are you doing? You're getting drunk because, why? Because I rejected you?" she said angrily, getting in his face. "Well you need to get over it. We have to work together and take Katherine down!"

"Oh it's all about you now, Elena? I'm just so depressed because of you…" he said with a sneer. You think highly of yourself don't you? I'm tired of having to be responsible for everyone and everything. Why don't you and your boyfriend take care of things for a change?"

"There's something else," Elena said quietly. Though she was pissed at how he dismissed her, she could tell there really was something else bothering him; some sort of pain brewing beneath the surface. "Did something happen, Damon? Talk to me."

"Oh, I so don't like that pitying look on your face right now," he said, shaking his head. "And I'm peachy. I'm just enjoying myself."

"Damon," she said, deciding to try to calm him down by cupping her hands around his face. "As your friend, please talk to me. What's wrong? I'm sorry over what I said to you earlier…I didn't mean it. I was just caught off guard," she said honestly. "Just talk to me."

He closed his eyes for a minute, letting her stay there a moment before he angrily opened his eyes back up. "Absolutely nothing," he said with a grin. "I just got laid, I'm as happy as could be."

At that, she pulled away, scrunching her eyes at him in surprise. "Oh…you went on your usual get drunk with the sorority girls bit…fine. Well when you come off your "high"" she said sarcastically. "Maybe you could help me out and tell me what's really bothering you"

"Oh, it wasn't just some sorority girl," Damon said, before he could help himself. "It was Katherine," he said with a mischievous grin.

* * *

Sheriff Forbes made sure that Chloe was kept in the back cell that was used for solitary confinement. She didn't trust her to try to escape. In all honesty, she didn't know if she could transform of not. Damon hadn't mentioned if it was specific to a certain sex.

But that didn't stop her from taking her in. Someone had to pay for her daughter, and it was obvious who it was. She believed that it wasn't Chloe, but she used that fact to draw out the other Lockwoods.

"Make sure you keep extra look out around the perimeter. If you see a wolf, you know what to do," she reminded her officers.

She was looking forward to a confrontation, eager to shoot and fight away her turmoil and pain. While she had said she would never kill a werewolf in its human form, this time she was willing to make the exception. Her mind reasoned with her that it had to be Tyler who had done those terrible things to Caroline…Another part thought it was both. Either way, neither of them would get out unscathed tonight.

"They wanted to send a message," she said with a whisper, letting the tears fall down her face as she remembered finding Caroline in almost the exact replica of how they had found Mrs. Lockwood. With one exception; there was a knife sticking out from where she had personally killed herself.

They had found out about her somehow…The only thing she could think of was that one of them had spied on her. That and probably broken into her house and put things together. She didn't know why her daughter had to pay for her doings; her responsibilities to keep the town safe.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat as she heard a cell phone go off: it was Chloe's.

She read the caller id before she picked it up. "I know you have Chloe," came Rio Lockwood's voice. She couldn't' help but to compare it to that of his deceased father's.

"Then you know what you have to do," she replied angrily.

"Oh I'll come down to the station and you will release her. You have no grounds to take her like that," he replied coolly. "In fact, I'm going to have my lawyer come with me and tell you the same thing."

"Then your lawyer will find that we are holding no such person here," she replied back. "I just want you and your brother here to….discuss…" she hissed. "what happened tonight?"

"Oh, just a talk, sheriff? About what, your dead daughter," he said calmly.

This had her blood boiling. "Your family is going to pay for what happened…we can either settle it now, or your sister can rot away in jail. Your call."

"You see, I figured you would go that route. But, you know, I don't feel like coming down to the station…I'm a little busy right now with a Mr. Jeremy gilbert," he said with a chuckle.

Her face dropped as she took in what he said. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh he was trying to help my dear brother and it turns out, he knows a little too much…it would be a shame if something happened to him….he could…spontaneously combust," he said with a snarl.

"You're lying. Why would you have Jeremy," she said trying to call his bluff.

She heard a male groan on the other end as if he had kicked someone. "Call it insurance…now you either release my sister unharmed, or something bad will happen…again."

"Oh, and you might want to think about it before that pesky full moon comes up or you're going to be in trouble," he said menacingly. "I give you an hour to decide. You have my number," and with that, he hung up.

"Shit," she moaned as she slammed the phone down on the table.

**Thanks to everyone who keeps on reviewing. You make my day ****And did anyone else buy the season today! HOLLER! Anyways, enjoy and review. Title of this chapter is from the band Hinder, and is what I imagined Damon dancing to as Elena came in and what thought it was appropriate for Jeremy. Cheers.**


	32. Human

Damon didn't know why he felt the need to lash out at Elena like that, but something in him just snapped. He was tired of being the butt of a joke or just some person to play around with. When did he become so…weak. Vampires weren't supposed to have so many emotions and guilt to weigh them down. They killed people without remorse; they took no pity. They did as they pleased and didn't behave as petty humans.

Then why did he feel nothing but guilt and now sorrow as he looked at Elena's startled face. Her look was as if he had killed someone; a mix of disappointment, hurt, disbelief, anger, and sadness rolled into one.

Nothing was said as she simply continued to stare at him and she shook her head. He cocked his head to the side as he took her in. "Say something," he said quietly, his buzz gone and reality sinking back in. He almost swore she had blinked back a tear, but he couldn't be sure. "I know you're dying to rip me a new one," he said, wagging his brows.

"What do you want me to say, Damon? You want me to rant and rave and tell you how you're stupid and...you know what, it doesn't matter anyway," she said, heading toward the door.

He raced to it, blocking her path. "No, go ahead. Let me hear it."

She closed her eyes and then opened them to look at him seriously. "What could I possibly say to you right now? You're so set on your own path of destruction because of this woman and what do you do? You jump into bed with her," she whispered.

He could tell that she was only now warming up. But it was better than her just being silent.

"I could say that I'm disappointed and disgusted and surprised that you would do such a thing, but you probably already know. But you want to know the worst thing?" she asked.

Damon nodded his head, awaiting her response.

"I thought that we had a connection. That there was something in you that wanted to do the right thing; a part of you that slowly made its way out and told me to trust you," she said, gazing at him with stern eyes. "Over this past year you've grown from some psychopathic vampire with his own agenda to a man worthy of my respect and friendship…."

"When I saw your face after Katherine wasn't in the tomb, my heart broke for you; it really did. I never thought I'd actually see you in pain like that. And even now," she said, her eyes glistening. "Throughout your drunken showoff and screw-you attitude, you're displaying the same kind of pain. I can only assume that she hurt you again. You went back to her and she hurt you again…Haven't you learned your lesson, Damon or are you that masochistic?"

"I do enjoy being whipped on occasion," he said jokingly to break the tension, but stopped at the look on her face. "So are you mad?"

"Am I mad? Yes. I'm enraged that you would jump into bed with her after everything she's done to you, to Stefan, Jeremy…me… But most of all I'm hurt and sad at this broken man in front of me who I don't think I can trust anymore," she said shaking her head. "Now if you could just move out of the way, I'm going downstairs."

Damon didn't know how to react. He expected Elena to blow up at him. Tell him how he was an asshole and a jerk; to go to hell and never show his face around again. Something. But this silent confession and her pity was overwhelming. He hung his head for a second thinking over what she said, when she surprised him.

All of a sudden, he felt her arms around him in a simple embrace; it was like being in the woods after opening the tomb to find that he was screwed over. Hell, he felt like that now after being told that she still didn't love him. It was a double whammy.

He hugged her back surprised nonetheless that she was even touching him right now.

She was still hugging him when she started talking. "I'm sorry…" And then she was out of his grasp and out the door.

Damon stood there, unmoving for a second before he reacted. Opening the door, he rushed out and grabbed her arm.

"Elena," he said, about to get into it, but he was interrupted by Elena.

"Damon, can you just promise me one thing?"

"Are you saying you can trust me to hold promises?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"Don't push it right now Damon, not in the mood," she said sternly before starting up again. "I want you to promise me that through all of this you won't go back to that person you were when I met you. That you won't close out your feelings and become a cold person….Don't become her," she said seriously

'Who said I ever let my feelings out to begin with?' Damon wanted to respond, but he held his tongue. It wasn't really how he felt anyway. Instead, he nodded his head and looked at her seriously. "I promise I won't be like her."

She looked at him a moment before she nodded her head and rushed down the stairs.

He watched her go before he retreated in his room and shut the door. Walking over to the mirro r he looked himself deep in the eyes. "Pansy," he uttered before he shook his hair out of his eyes and threw on a shirt.

* * *

Stefan rushed to the police station not really knowing what he was getting into. The next Elena received was fast and vague. He could only hope that nothing bad had happened or Elena wouldn't forgive him. He had first planted the idea to get close to Tyler in Jeremy's head. If he got hurt because of Stefan's plan, it was all on him.

He pulled up on the street and parked, looking around for signs of danger. He was surprised to come up with nothing. He either had gotten there in time, or Jeremy had just sent a warning text; not knowing what to expect.

Walking up the stairs to the door, he went inside and looked around.

"Can I help you?" a person at a desk asked him curiously.

"Yes, I'm actually looking for Sheriff Forbes," he said still sweeping over the room.

"She's busy," he told Stefan bluntly. "Anything I could help you with?"

"Can you at least tell her that Stefan Salvatore is here? I really need to speak with her. She knows me," he said sternly.

The guy looked like he had better things to do, but he reached for his phone and made a call. "Sorry to bother you but I have a Mr. Salvatore here who says he needs to see…alright."

He hung up and looked at Stefan. "Go straight back and wait at the locked door. Someone will let you in and you can see her."

"Thank you," Stefan said, walking to the back.

After he had gotten past the security, he was lead to the back of the building. There he saw Sheriff Forbes looking haggard and upset sitting at a table staring at a cellphone.

She looked up as she saw him come in and scrunched her eyes in confusion before she relaxed. "I thought you'd be Damon when they said Salvatore….I'm guessing you heard?"

Stefan looked at her with condolences etched on his face. "Yes, and I can't tell you how sorry I am about your loss…but."

"But there's always something else isn't there," she said knowingly.

"Long story, short, Sheriff. Rio Lockwood is going to be coming here with Jeremy Gilbert and I don't know what his plans are exactly, but…."

"Are you sure Jeremy is with him?" she asked, closing her eyes and squeezing the bridge of her nose.

"Yes. He sent Elena a text that he was coming here with Rio and I felt like something was off, so I raced over here to make sure he was ok," Stefan said, looking at her worriedly.

"Damn it. Then he wasn't bluffing," she said finally. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Rio apparently has Jeremy hostage. In exchange, he wants his sister, whom we have in lockup in the back."

Stefan's brows scrunched up in surprise. "How do you know? Was he here then?"

"No, he called here. He didn't want to be anywhere near the grounds, the coward. He said his life for hers or he'll kill Jeremy…." She said, getting angry. "Why do lives always have to be on the line? The lives of innocent people who have nothing to do with any of this…Even you shouldn't be involved. Where's Damon?"

"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself," Stefan said stiffly. "But Damon sent me here to check out the situation while he looks around town…"

"He must have been listening in to our meeting," she said out of the blue. "Not even hours earlier we held a council meeting and then the place is burned to the ground….."

"Can you tell me why they had any reason to attack like this?" Stefan asked slowly, not knowing if she'd tell him anything.

"They wanted revenge for their mother," she said quickly. "You can ask your brother the details if you wish, but I'm not getting into it right now…it seems I have a trade to make."

"You're going to let her go?" Stefan asked.

"What choice do I have?" she said, sounding resigned.

"I want to speak to the sister before you do anything," Stefan said seriously.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said shaking her head. "I don't know what she's capable of and I don't want you getting hurt."

"Trust me, I won't," he said seriously.

She let out a sigh and signaled to one of the guards telling them to let Stefan back there, but to keep close watch.

He made his way to the back where Chloe was locked in cell looking pissed off, but unharmed. She looked up as she heard someone come and looked at Stefan in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need to know if your brother is capable of murder," Stefan said, getting straight to the point.

"You're kidding me right? How stupid do I look to tell you anything?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not asking if he did kill someone, I want to know if he would because right now, he's holding someone hostage in order to get you out and I need to know if he would follow through or not," he replied even though he knew the answer.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "He has a hostage?" she said in surprise. "Shit…who?"

"His name is Jeremy Gilbert…and I'm afraid that he's in a lot of danger," he said. "And I'm going to need your help or he's going to die."

"And what do you expect me to do exactly?" she asked in disbelief, not really knowing what he wanted.

Then he got closer to the bars and waved her close. She narrowed her eyes, but obliged.

"I know what your brother did," he whispered so only she could hear. "I know about you and your family. I know that you and Tyler are innocent. Help me make sure Jeremy's safe and I'll help you with Rio."

"And what possible help do you have? You say you know what we are…what are you going to do, take a bat and attack. Please," she said whispering.

Looking around and making sure no one was watching he extended his fangs, making the veins protrude from around his eyes. "Believe me….I can help."

**So only two scenes, but I wanted to focus on the brothers. Besides, that's where the actions at the moment. It's still normal length, though. BUT….Was that too mushy a scene for Damon and Elena? I thought that Elena wouldn't really let him have it because she would realize that he's a bit of a mess with his ex in town. Besides, she had pretty much just exhausted her anger about the Caroline thing. I wanted them to have the real connection they had as friends. And yelling, while would have been typical, seemed too much. Silent anger is always better, lol. P.S. Title song is by the Killers ****Enjoy and review. Cheers.**


	33. Family Bonding

**A/N: Just a heads up, if I don't update on Friday or the following day, it may be because I will be out of power. Hurricane Earl is coming and I'm right on the coast, right on the water, actually. So I don't know what to expect. I might be using candles by then, lol. But if I still have power, I will update.

* * *

**Chloe jumped back in surprise, letting out a small hiss before composing herself. "Wasn't expecting that one….why would you show me what you are knowing what you know?" she asked curiously.

"To let you know how serious the situation is," he said, retracting his fangs. "I know what he did and that he needs to be stopped. How, I don't know. But lives are at stake here and not just Jeremy's, but the sheriff's and whoever else he has plans for…"

She let out a sigh and shook her head. "No one was supposed to get hurt," she said sadly. "We had wanted to burn down the city hall where the council meetings took place to leave a message that we knew what the council had done…what they are up to…I mean, I was all for revenge and going after the council members, but to actually act on it and against a child no less? No…"

"Then help me," Stefan said seriously. "The sheriff says she's willing to make the trade, but that doesn't guarantee that he will let Jeremy go unscathed or at all. He won't even come near this place. He wants you released and then once you're safe he's supposed to let him go."

"So you need me to make sure Rio keeps his word," she said slowly.

"A little more than that actually. I want to follow you and I want your help in distracting Rio," he said seriously. "Once I have Jeremy secured, I will leave. I just want to make sure you're on my side."

"You're going to trust a werewolf?" she asked quietly. "Why?"

"Let's just say I knew an ancestor of yours who you bear a striking resemblance to and she never let me down," he said, looking back wistfully. "I didn't know her secret or anything, but I know that just because you have this other side to you, it doesn't make you a bad person."

She closed her eyes and thought about it a bit. "I'd like to hear about this ancestor of mine sometime, but for now….Alright. I'll do what you need me to. I don't want someone to die because of me or my brother."

"I'll go talk to the sheriff then," Stefan said, backing away.

"Can I trust that she won't do something to harm me?" she asked before she left.

"Honestly, I don't know. But if she tries anything on you, I will protect you. I promise," he said with a nod, heading back to the sheriff.

"Did you make the call?" Stefan asked.

She looked at him looking tired and frazzled. "Yes. He said he will release Jeremy as soon as Chloe is released to him. I got him to at least agree to have one person do the exchange in good faith that Jeremy would be safe."

"I'll do it," Stefan said without hesitation. "I already talked to Chloe and she's willing to cooperate with me in making sure Jeremy is safe."

"You can't trust her," she said, getting angry. "She's a Lockwood. I don't trust any of them. Besides, I'm not sending you out to risk your life as well"

"Well then trust me when I say that I will help you. I will get Jeremy. If you don't' send me, I will just follow anyway. I'm as capable as Damon, Sheriff. I promise. I can take him down if need be," he said seriously.

"I don't like it," she said shaking her head. "But time is running out. Take this with you just in case," she said, handing him a gun.

"Guards," she said out loud. "Get the prisoner ready to transport."

* * *

Elena marched into the living room intent to just plop down on the couch and settle her emotions down before Bonnie came over, which should have been any minute now. She was reeling from everything with Damon. While she did indeed want to yell at him, she couldn't find it in his pained eyes to put him down farther than he was now.

And another part of her not only felt sad and disappointed, but for some reason, jealous. She didn't know where that came from. It was Damon's business to sleep with who he wanted; he didn't have a girlfriend. This jealousy surprised Elena above all else. But before she could even think of it, she found herself in the living room and she wasn't alone.

"John," she said in surprise. "What are you still doing here?"

He looked her over a second before responding. "Why wouldn't I be here?" he asked carefully.

"I assumed you would have, I don't know, found someplace to stay that wasn't here. I mean, I know you can't go to Isobel's, because you killed her friend….Do Stefan and Damon know you're here?" she asked still looking at him weird as he was narrowing his eyes and walking closer.

For a moment he got closer than Elena liked and she backed up a bit.

"Sorry. Just double checking you're not Katherine. The last time I was alone with who I thought was you, I had my fingers chopped off and was killed," he said seriously. "But to answer your question, Stefan told me I could stay. Isobel and I talked and she said that would be best as long as I didn't run into Katherine."

"So it's probably not smart to stay here where she could always pop in at any minute," she said shaking her head.

"It's a risk I'll take. I don't think she knows I'm around anyway. But what brings you back here?" he asked curiously.

"Bonnie needed to talk to me, and I figured I'd keep Jenna out of it…" she said briefly. She didn't feel the need to fill him in on everything.

"You alright, Elena?" he asked concerned.

"Don't pretend to care now that you know that I know you're my father…and I'm just fine. I just need some sleep," she said tiredly, sitting down on the couch. "Bonnie can't get here soon enough…"

John looked like he was going to argue with her about something, but he shrugged his shoulders and decided to press on. "Why is Bonnie coming? Are you asking her about helping against Katherine?"

Elena laid her head back against the chair, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. "I'll get to that with her eventually, but now we're talking about taking down werewolves…it's a long story that I don't feel like repeating right now."

John slowly walked over to Elena and crouched so that he would be eye level. "Elena, I know you think I'm a terrible person," he started…

She opened her eyes, startled at how close he was. "For what you did before you died, yes I do believe you're terrible. You killed Anna and tried to kill Damon in that fire. Not to mention whatever else you did that I'm unaware of…." she said shaking her head. "But know that just because you're a vampire now, it doesn't change my opinion of you in the least. You didn't choose this, I get it. But I can still dislike you, birth father and all. If you want to gain my trust, you're going to have to work on it."

At that he gave a small nod and a half smile. "Well there's something positive in there…"

Then, the doorbell rang and Elena gratefully jumped up to get it, bumping into John on the way. "Sorry," she mumbled as she grabbed him for balance. For a second he didn't let her go.

"John?" she asked worried. His eyes turned black then as he looked at her, the veins protruding deftly from his face. She went completely still then, worried as to what he would do if she struggled. Instead she looked at him calmly and tried to talk him down.

"Uncle John. You need to think about something else. It's me, Elena…." She started lamely. She didn't know how exactly you talked a newbie vampire out of biting you. The bell rang again, startling her, which was a bad move. Her heart rate accelerated, causing him to pay further attention.

That little beat was all it took and before she knew it, he stuck his head back, ready to strike. She cried out, but before he made another move, Damon was there shoving him back.

Elena jumped back in surprise as she watched the two struggled. Suddenly, John stopped fighting and began to clutch his head. She didn't need to turn around to figure out that Bonnie was inside, now.

"Alright, alright, stop," Elena told Bonnie as she noticed John dropping to the ground, now out of Damon's grip.

Bonnie waited a second more before she released John, and he closed his eyes, gasping for air.

"You ok?" she asked Elena at the same time Damon asked.

"Yeah, Thanks, Bonnie…he didn't hurt me, he was…"

"Just going to eat you for dinner," Damon replied over her shoulder.

"He's new," she said in his defense even though she was still spooked by the encounter.

"I'll show him to his new room to go with his pretty new attitude," Damon said smugly as he picked John off the ground and dragged him away. "Come on pookie," he said, with a shot to John's ribs.

"Bonnie, do I have a sign on my back that says eat me or something?" Elena sighed in exasperation. "Or please attack? Cause I'd like it taken off…"

Bonnie gave a small chuckle and gave Elena a hug. "I don't see one...but let's work on the danger out there so you don't have to worry, ok?"

"Alright. Where to start? Wolves or vampires," Elena said, leading Bonnie over to the table.

* * *

Tyler woke with a start, sitting up and looking around. He was surprised to find himself in the living room of his house. The last thing he remembered was reacting angrily to what the sheriff had said about Chloe and then…he was pretty sure he fought his brother. He was still getting used to being in control, so it was hard to say.

"Chloe," he said, remembering what had happened. He stood up, noticing the bandage around his neck and he felt the accompanying throb of pain. Rio had gotten him, but not too bad. Apparently he had healed some before he transformed back.

Looking around, he noticed clothes thrown across the couch for him and he readily put them on. "Rio?" he asked aloud. "Jeremy?"

That was another thing. He remembered Jeremy talking to him in the alley and he could only hope he didn't do anything to hurt him.

He yelled out again, but again was met with silence. Frustrated, he grabbed his keys off the counter and ran to the garage. As he opened the door, he heard a car start and looked to the car to see Rio at the driver's seat.

"Rio," he yelled out before he took off.

He looked at him a second before rolling down his window. "Good to see you up. You under control there, killer?"

The word set Tyler's blood boiling. "You're really going to throw that term out, Rio. You're the one you murdered Caroline. I can't believe you. Do you know how…"

"I don't really have time for this chat right now, Tyler. I've got to get Chloe."

"Then I'll come too. It's my fault she was taken. If she hadn't gone to the hospital in the first place…it was stupid," Tyler said, shaking his head and reaching for the doorknob to jump in the backseat. But that's when he noticed Jeremy lying unconscious across the seat.

"What the hell, Rio? What happened? I didn't do that, did I?" Tyler asked in surprise.

Rio grinned wickedly before answering. "For once, it actually wasn't. I need him for leverage. And don't worry about him. I'll take good care of him," he said, throwing the car into drive.

"Where are you going!" Tyler shouted at him as he took off, but he got no response.

"Shit," Tyler muttered as he ran over to his car and jumped in, attempting to follow him.

He had no clue where he would take Jeremy, but he didn't like what could happen knowing what Rio was truly capable of. He pressed the gas harder, hoping to keep up. Even though Rio had only had a small lead, it was enough to make Tyler pause to figure out which way. Then something occurred to him; if he was going to exchange Chloe for Jeremy, he wouldn't go to the station…

Tyler thought about it and then knew where to go; the only place in town that Rio would remember to go to.

**Sorry for the late update. The worst happened tonight….I had a bit of writer's block!EEEK! I think I'm just really really tired. Tomorrow hopefully I will be fresh and ready to go! But anyways, I know this chapter wasn't thumping with amazing cliffies, but I need to set things up. Anyways, enjoy and review! Cheers.**


	34. Hang You From the Heavens

Katherine licked her lips, dropping the body of a late night runner on the ground. She wasn't really hungry, but was eating more out of boredom than out of need. She had debated going to the Salvatore mansion and try for another roll with Damon, but thought better of it. She was all for angry sex, but she could only assume now that they would never run into that option again; not after both of their honest opinions.

Her other idea was to find Stefan and have fun with him, but she felt too bothered to go hunt him down. Chances were he was either at the house with Damon or he was with Elena. Either way, she didn't care for the run in's.

That left her to wander around town to find her own fun. She found herself now tempted to go find the werewolf and see what was going on there. The last time the wolves had popped up in Mystic Falls and had been a problem, Katherine had been around to see them. Hunting in the woods had her run into them countless times. Thinking it a best plan as any, she decided she would head to the Lockwood mansion because that's the best thing she could think of. She knew it ran in their line back then, it was probably the same now; especially after she ran into that boy at the hospital who used her phone.

"This could be fun," she said with a smile as she made her way to where she remembered the mansion would be. She was running slowly and then built into a faster pace once she hit the outsets and reached the woods. It was then that she stopped dead in her tracks as a scent she hadn't smelled in a long time crossed her path.

She turned in a circle looking around, fangs down and breathing hard in anger. "Where are you, you asshole?"

"Is that a nice welcome for your maker? I mean, we could practically be married the time we've been together, wifey" Klaus said with a chuckle as he approached her lazily from the trees.

She hissed at him angrily and grabbed a tree branch from the ground. "How did you find me?"

He didn't answer her at first; he simply admired her for a bit before continuing to approach. "Do you know how insane it is that you have a twin out there but with a beating heart? It's like a major flashback for me," he said with a smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him. How could he have run into Elena? How was he here? "How are you here?" she asked again, ignoring his comment.

"I knew that out of sentiments, you would probably return to your house someday. So I had a witch put a spell on it a long time ago that would alert me if you ever came back to it. I was curious and came to investigate," he said cheerily. "Did you have a nice homecoming? I saw that you didn't finish your meal? But I saw to it that she got wrapped up and taken home."

"So that's how she's safe and sound," Katherine hissed out. "You interfered…"

"But I didn't really help her. I knew you left her for a reason. I just got her to a road where she could save herself. There's a difference there, love," he said with a wink. "Now, don't tell me you're not happy to see me after all this time?"

"Go to hell," she spat. "It's been over 100 years, and it's still not long enough to not see you."

"Ouch," he said sarcastically. Then he got serious, grabbing the stick out of Katherine's hand and dropping it the ground. He cocked his head to the side and looked her over carefully. "Now, the real reason if why are you back in Mystic Falls after all this time…"

"That's my own business," she said, moving out of his reach. But he only got closer, grabbing her harshly by the hair and pulling her in.

"Now, that's not really an answer is it?" he asked, using his other hand to strike out and slap her hard across the face.

She turned her head back to face him, her fangs extracting in anger.

"You will tell me why you're here and why I may need to save your sorry ass," he said getting angry. "Or I could always kill one of those boys you are so fond of."

She narrowed her eyes at him and stopped struggling. "Fine," she said through clenched teeth.

* * *

Damon finished locking John up in the cell, ignoring his complaints that he was under control now.

"Blah, Blah, blah, John. Payback's a bitch ain't it?" Damon sneered through the bars. "Just be happy I'm not dousing you in gasoline and lighting a match…"

"I don't need to be locked up," John said, ignoring Damon. "I think I was too hungry so I lashed out…"

"At your daughter," Damon said rolling his eyes. "You're lucky nothing happened or you would have a dirt nap tonight. So just shut up and pass out. Stefan can let you out later."

As Damon was leaving, John called out again. "Thank you," he said grudgingly. "I know what could have happened. You saved her and I'm grateful and not just now, but for saving her from Katherine as well."

"I didn't do it for you," Damon called back. "But next time you're not trying to gnaw on Elena, you might want to mention that she could try to be less damsel in distress. She's nothing but trouble these days."

"Well it's a good thing then that she has you to save her then," John shot out. "Though I thought that was reserved for Stefan…"

"Apparently. Pleasant dreams, hope the bedbugs bite," Damon said, rushing up the stairs.

As he came back up the stairs, he headed for the kitchen to get a blood bag out of the fridge. He didn't know that hunger and curiosity could have come in handy. He had been upstairs when he heard the bell ring not once, but twice. He was hungry anyway so he decided to investigate. That's when he saw John all growly faced and acted.

He had to give Elena props, though. She was handling herself pretty well lately. Anyone else would have just collapsed and quit after everything that happened.

"Women…" he said with a shrug as he took a deep drink. He then decided to make his way to the living room to see what Bonnie and Elena were discussing. If it was Katherine, he wanted to hear the plan before Bonnie decided to play super witch and step in on her own.

He paused outside the door before entering to see what they were talking about.

"Have you heard from Stefan, then?" Bonnie asked Elena.

"Nothing yet…" she said sounding exasperated. "I only hope that Jeremy is ok. The idea that he's near that murderous….ugh, it makes me so nervous and angry and I just want to help. But the only thing I can do it wait on Stefan."

This had Damon intrigued. So he decided to pop in and butt it. "So what's your dear brother gotten himself into this time?"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "Eavesdrop much?"

"Vampire," he said, riasing his brows. "I don't need to eavesdrop. I could hear your voices a mile away. Now what's Stefan doing exactly?"

"Long story short, Jeremy is with Rio at the police station and Stefan's making sure he's ok. I haven't heard from him yet, so I don't know what's going on," Elena said quickly.

"I'm sure he's fine, then," Damon said with a wave of his hand. "But what do you suggest to do," he said, pointing at Bonnie, "about the wolves….or Katherine for that matter."

They both looked at him in surprise before Bonnie answered. "Wow, you're actually asking me even though according to you, I'm as useful as Sabrina the Teenage witch…."

"I stand by my words, but you could always surprise us all. You did help me out after all so you do know what you're doing at least half of the time," Damon conceded.

Bonnie sighed, looking to Elena as if she was asking if she should tell Damon. Elena shook her head and Bonnie began to tell him the plan.

"I was thinking that we could incapacitate the wolves with the device that was used on founder's day, but with adjustments," Bonnie said confidently. "Meaning that I will weave a spell into its works that will exclude you and Stefan. And that would mean I need some of your blood."

"You're not going to sell it on the black-market are you?" he said with raised brows. "But assuming this plan of yours works, we still need to have Katherine so that we can take her down. She could be anywhere when you set it off."

"Isobel's supposed to set up a meeting, remember?" she told Damon. "So once they meet, we set off the device. But the only problem is that we actually do need the wolves there somehow or you and Stefan would have to separate and attack with the odds against each other."

"Thought that out, did you?" Damon said shaking his head. "What about your dear undead parents? Are they not going to be included in this spell?"

Elena glared at him, but Bonnie answered. "I don't think I can weave more than two. I mean, two is making a big exception…so unless you have another better plan for getting rid of two problems at once, be my guest."

"But we're only going to attack Rio, right?" Elena said, looking at Bonnie in earnest. "Make sure he's either taken away to lock up or drug him to see if there's anything in those books that makes him less dangerous?"

But both Bonnie and Damon looked at her seriously. "If he attacks first, he gets taken out," Bonnie said with a fire in her eyes.

"He's done pissed off the wrong witch," Damon said with a smirk.

At that, Bonnie got up and prepared to leave.

"Wait, Bonnie. I'm not ok with killing," Elena said seriously.

But Bonnie shrugged her shoulders and started leaving. "Well then let's hope it doesn't come to that…I'll call you tomorrow." And with that, she left the house.

* * *

Jeremy woke up groggily, aware of the sounds of rushing water somewhere behind him. He sat up slowly, shaking his head slightly to rid himself of the dizziness. Looking around, it took him a bit to process his surroundings and was surprised to see himself near what looked like Wickery Bridge.

"Before my dad was a total douche, he used to take us fishing out here," Rio said from behind him.

Jeremy quickly stood up and turned around to face him. He was standing calmly facing the water. "This was the one place that ever felt comfortable and I don't know, safe. I thought it appropriate to be here."

Jeremy raised his eyes as if to tell him he was crazy, but didn't say anything. "Why did you knock me out? Why am I here?"

"I figured you wouldn't willingly be taken hostage to get my sister out. She should be here soon, I hope. I did tell the sheriff that Chloe would know where to go. It makes it easier to see if she's followed," he said lazily.

"I'm sure the sheriff would have let her go if you just talked to her.

Rio laughed and turned around the face Jeremy. "No. She would have killed me on sight and possibly even tortured Chloe. Trading you guys seemed like a good idea."

"Why not turn yourself in, then?" Jeremy said, regretting it as soon as he said it.

Rio looked at him in surprise before smiling. "I knew you probably figured out what I did, but in all honesty, I left the killing part up to the sheriff."

"And what does that mean?" Jeremy asked nervously.

"As I'm sure you and Tyler discussed…I'm not stupid," he said with a look at Jeremy, "I did indeed maul and bite Caroline up till she was near death. It was the same way the sheriff found my mother's body, you see. But once she shoved a knife through her chest, she made it murder."

"So I gave the sheriff the same choice, I just helped her along a bit," he said with a chuckle. "I shoved a knife in her chest, but not deep enough to pierce her heart. I left that part up to the mother."

"How could you do that to somebody?" Jeremy whispered, sounding horrified.

Jeremy saw his eyes light up in the moonlight. "Revenge of course; for my mom, for my dad, and what that damn council forced him to do…abandon his family."

"So you had to kill an innocent girl to do so?" Jeremy said angered. "You're sick."

"No. I did what I had to in order to protect this family. Do you know that the council knows how to take us down? How to kill us? I'm not going to let that happen. I will kill anyone who even tries," he said with fervor in his eyes. "It's my job now that my dad is gone to take over; become the alpha male, if you will."

Jeremy watched him nervously, aware that he was practically near a powder keg that was ready to explode. He silently looked around for a weapon just in case, but was out of luck. The only thing he could think of was to rush to the car and make a getaway, but he probably wouldn't be fast enough.

"Will you really let me go when they bring Chloe?" Jeremy asked silently.

Rio laughed and walked over to Jeremy. "Most likely, depending on my mood and Chloe's well-being…but while you're here, would you mind telling me the truth about the Salvatore's? I know you know something…" he said suspiciously.

Jeremy was about to reply that he didn't know what he was talking about, but he heard a car approach fast from some way. In response, Rio grabbed Jeremy tight across the neck, putting him in a choker hold.

"Don't try anything and I won't hurt you," Rio hissed.

"Rio!" Tyler yelled as he got out of the car and rushed over. "Let him go."

"Oh. It's just you," Rio said, almost disappointed.

"Let him go," Tyler repeated. "You're acting like a crazy person. Enough!"

"Oh, I'm crazy now?" Rio spat, not releasing Tyler. "I'm doing what needs to be done."

"This isn't helping anyone, "Tyler said angrily. "Let him go and we can get Chloe like normal people."

"We're not people, Tyler." Rio said, tightening his grip unconsciously in anger. "We're wolves. We act on instinct and take what is ours. It is our birthright. It's our duty."

"Now you're sounding like dad," Tyler said rolling his eyes.

Jeremy let out a small gasp as he felt Rio tighten even more. Tyler went over to try to release Rio's hold, but it wasn't necessary. Rio threw him to the ground and instead, jumped on Tyler and began throwing punches.

Jeremy took some time to catch his breath before going to help Tyler out, jumping on Rio's back and beating him from behind; but that turned out to be a bad choice because suddenly he felt Rio tense and Tyler was yelling at him.

"Run to my car. NOW!" as Rio began to transform.

Jeremy didn't need telling twice before he sprinted for his life up the river side to the car, praying he was fast enough.

**So I didn't really want to do a Katherine/Klaus scene because usually the show won't focus on those characters unless they are with a main character…but I wanted to put it in there. It reminded me of when the show showed John and Isobel talking, so I figured it would work. And I didn't want to leave you with a major cliffie just in case I lose power and I can't update; it would be cruel, lol. Anyways, enjoy and review. Title is from the band The Dead Weather and is also on VD soundtrack. Thought it was perfect for the emotion in this chapter. Cheers.**


	35. Killing in the Name

**A/N: UGH so I was watching the episode, Miss Mystic Falls and so want to punch Bonnie in the balls right now! So she will not be in this chapter! NO! AND thanks for the well wishes with Hurricane Earl, which proved to be as lame as its name. Anyways, lol, back to the story.

* * *

**Damon watched Elena in amusement. One second she had her hands over her eyes all frustrated after she threw herself on the couch, and the next moment, she was passed out cold. He figured she would crash sooner or later. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed a blanket from a nearby chair and draped it over her.

He started to leave to head to his room when he thought better of it. It seemed like every time she was left alone, something bad happened. Sighing, he thought about his options. He could always carry her to his room so he could hang out there, and while it would be funny to explain to her how she got there, he decided against it.

Instead, he went to the bar and poured himself a drink. But the silence bored him fast and he was wondering if he should just scare Elena awake or possibly tease John a bit. Then a thought occurred to him; he could call Stefan and see what he was up to.

He patted his pockets, but didn't feel his phone. Looking around, he spotted Elena's. "Close enough," he said, snatching it up. "Now are you under lover boy or bambi killer?" he said, scrolling through her phone.

He pressed send and waited for Stefan's reply if not voicemail.

"Elena," he answered after a few rings.

"Hi precious," Damon said in a mock girly voice. "I miss you so much, come home soon. Kissy kissy."

"Damon! Why do you have Elena's phone? Is she hurt? Is she ok? Where is she," Stefan began hurriedly.

"Relax paranoid. You left her here, remember? She fell asleep. I just want the 411 on what you're doing about the werewolf situation," Damon said impatiently.

"I can't talk long….but I'm handling the situation now. We're on our way out to Wickery Bridge. That's where Chloe thinks they'll be. We're almost there now to make the trade," Stefan said hurriedly.

"Do you need backup?" Damon asked hopefully.

"I don't think it will come to that," Stefan said confidently. "And if it does, I have help."

"What, is Casper the friendly ghost there, too?" Damon asked. "What help do you have?"

"She agreed to help make sure Jeremy is safe and I believe it," Stefan said. "I'll call you later. Keep Elena safe," he said as he hung up.

"Why do saints have all the fun…" Damon moaned in frustration as he threw the phone down.

The small movement had Elena shift in her sleep, uttering Damon's name as she rolled onto her side.

Damon arched a brow and couldn't help but smile. Then he shook his head and decided to have some fun. Grabbing the CD player, he brought it over to the couch and positioned it near her head. With one more mischievous grin, he pressed play so that his Anberlin cd would blare as loud as it could.

She shot up out of her seat in an instant and Damon couldn't help but to laugh at the surprised look on her face.

"What the hell, Damon?" she muttered groggily.

"Rise and shine, sweetie. I know it's hard to wake up from dreaming about me, but why dream when you can have me now…" he said with a grin before continuing. "We have some werewolves to fight and you need to come with so you're not left alone as someone's snack."

"What!" she said, shooting up and ignoring Damon's previous comment.

"Jeremy. Werewolf. You staying in car. That's all you need to know. Let's go," he said as he began to walk outside.

She didn't need telling twice before she jumped up and followed him. "You could have just shaken me awake like a normal…person… nice-ish vampire" she muttered as they left the house.

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm not a person and I'm not normal. You can sleep on the way, princess," he said, hopping into the driver's seat.

"Like that will happen," she muttered. "What happened?"

"I'll fill you in on the way. Just buckle up and shut up," Damon said as he put the car in drive.

* * *

Jeremy was half way to the car when he heard growling behind him. He didn't pause to look, knowing it would just slow him down. But he didn't make it far before he went down hard. He braced, expecting claws or bites; something painful, but nothing came. Instead, he heard a whoosh and a werewolf leapt over him, missing where he just stood. He could only assume Tyler had knocked him out of the way just in time.

Looking around fast, he saw them fighting, teeth glaring and hair on end. He raced the final distance to Tyler's car and jumped in, locking the doors. "Like I need to lock them," he said lamely.

He didn't want to abandon Tyler, but he knew it wasn't safe to wait outside either. So instead, he watched the showdown from the safety of the idling car.

It was brutal and clear that Rio had the upper-hand. Jeremy could tell the difference between them now by both size and color of the fur. While Tyler's was a light tannish brown, Rio's was black with flecks of white throw in.

They attacked, gnawing and clawing until suddenly Tyler backed far enough away and transformed. Jeremy was impressed; he hadn't thought that he was capable of that control.

"Rio. This has gone far enough," Tyler said panting and wincing as he inhaled. "Let's talk this out….You need to own up to what you did. You started this and stupidity pointed to our family as killers. You need to fix this and fix it now, without bloodshed."

Jeremy shook his head agreeing, but knew that Rio would probably disagree. Regardless, Jeremy looked at Rio hopefully to see what he would do. For a moment, Rio did nothing. He just seemed to stand there catching his breath and glaring at Tyler. Then he slowly walked to Tyler seemingly calm and seemed to put his head down as if to agree with what Tyler said.

Jeremy shouted out a second too late as Rio lifted his head fast and pounced on Tyler before he had a chance to react. "Shit!" Jeremy yelled out. Thinking fast, he put the car into drive and headed toward Rio with the intent to at least scare him or nudge him away from Tyler, who seemed almost out for the count.

Rio turned just in time and leapt off of Tyler, staying crouched in front of Jeremy's car. Jeremy pressed the pedal down hard and aimed for Rio now that he had a clear shot, but Rio was too fast, leaping out of the way just in time. Jeremy skidded to a halt, surprised at how far he slid on the wet grass. Luckily he braked with enough room or he would have driven into the river.

But his relief didn't last long before he heard a loud bang from the driver's side: Rio was trying to push the car over. He was about to reverse to throw him off when he heard shouts.

"Rio, stop!" came a woman's voice. Jeremy's head flew to the sound and he saw Chloe running hard with Stefan close by. But Rio only came at the car again with sheer force, giving it another hard nudge.

In an instant, Stefan was at Rio, grabbing him roughly by the neck and throwing him aside like a ragdoll. "Drive home," Stefan shouted at Jeremy as he awaited Rio's attack.

Jeremy nodded, but headed toward Tyler intending to make sure he was safe. But apparently, Tyler didn't need it because he was sitting up looking ok. "Tyler, get in the car," Jeremy said as he rolled the window down.

But Tyler wasn't paying attention because at that moment, a loud yelp came from the direction of Rio and Stefan. He could only assume Stefan was winning right now and Jeremy couldn't be happier. "Come on," he repeated, but all of a sudden, Tyler transformed into a wolf again.

"What the hell, man. Let's get out of here, we're safe," Jeremy said in surprise.

Tyler looked at him with gleaming eyes and it didn't take Jeremy long to figure out that Tyler wasn't the one in control right now. "Crap," he said as he worked to close the window, but Tyler was faster, jumping through and clamping onto his shoulder with his teeth and dragging him painfully from the car.

* * *

"I knew something like this would happen. That's why I didn't want him involved," Elena said angrily.

"Would you prefer to leave him out again so he could act like a douchebag to you again?" Damon countered as they neared the road to the bridge.

"You can call him a douchebag when you don't sleep around with the enemy, ok," Elena shot at Damon testily, if not almost playfully.

"Ouch," he said sarcastically. "Ok, well-deserved. But the fact is that if he has at least Tyler on his side, then we have another ally and one less werewolf for Bonnie to eliminate, right?"

"You have a point, "Elena said grudgingly. "I just can't stand it knowing that he's in danger."

"Well, we will find out soon enough. But remember, you will be getaway driver only. No getting out of the car whatsoever, got it? Stefan and I will handle it if necessary," Damon said, squinting his eyes and looking around.

"If I can help, I will. That's all I'll promise," Elena said stubbornly as they reached the clearing. She let out a cry of shock as she saw the scene in front of her.

Jeremy was near the river unconscious while two wolves seemed to be circling each other nearby as if to fight. Meanwhile, Stefan was fighting another on the other side. Damon was saying something, but Elena didn't listen. Tossing reason aside, Elena sped up until her car was as close to the riverbank as she could get.

Damon jumped out immediately and rushed over to Jeremy. Elena watched on hopefully from the car as he reached Jeremy without any fight from the wolves. He was bent over checking his pulse. She watched his face for his reaction and was glad that he looked relieved. He turned to look at her and gave her the thumbs up. But after a moment, Stefan's scream echoed from around and she turned her attention to him. The wolf, who looked a bit bloodied, had gotten Stefan good and his arm seemed to almost hang ominously from the shoulder, looking almost bitten off.

Elena couldn't help but to open the car door open and throw up before she looked again. One of the other wolves had gone to try to help Stefan, but then got into a fight with the other one. Elena made up her mind, then.

Rushing out of the car, she headed toward Jeremy. "HELP STEFAN!" she yelled to Damon as he looked torn between Jeremy and Stefan. "NOW."

He looked at her seriously before nodding his head and rushing to Stefan. Elena bent down over Jeremy glad to see that he was breathing and for the most part, ok. HE was bleeding a lot from his shoulder, which worried her. She took her belt off and made to tie it around like a tourniquet, trying hard not to pain him. "Come on Jeremy, wake up," she said as she tightened it a little. But the only response was a little groan at the pressure on his shoulder.

"Close enough," she sighed as she put her arm under Jeremy's good side and heaved him up a bit. She just got him up when she heard Damon's shout. She looked over and saw a wolf coming straight at them.

She was caught on what to do. She couldn't leave Jeremy and run to the car and she had no weapon. Standing her ground, she pushed Jeremy to the side just as a wolf pounced on her, the momentum pushing her and the wolf over until they rolled down into the rushing waters below.

**How's that for a cliffie! Lol! Muahaha. And yay for more Delena. I gave them 2 out of the 3 scenes! Anyways, Sorry for the wait. I was enjoying the surprisingly nice weather outside. And I cleave this story a bit unedited as I am drinking a nice 7&7 and am ready to head out for the night. Enjoy and review. Song title is by Rage against the machine because I liked it as wolf fighting music, lol. Random. Cheers! **


	36. Hysteria

**A/N: a bit of violence here, so just beware and such…

* * *

**Elena splashed down into the water kicking and waving her arms to rid herself of the wolf. The combination of that and the water seemed to work because before she knew it, she was free. Taking the opportunity, she swam back up reaching for land. She went to haul herself up, but winced on her first attempt after putting pressure on her injured hand.

"Fuck my life," she groaned as she tread the water a bit before attempting again, while glancing around real quick to make sure the wolf wasn't after her again. She was surprised to look down river and see not a wolf, but Tyler looking a bit out of it and struggling to stay up. "He attacked me?" she said in surprise. She was half tempted to go help him out, but he looked like he was slowly managing it, already to the shore.

She looked up to grasp the shoreline again when she felt rough hands hoist her up. She was about to shout when she realized it was Damon. "I had it under control," she panted at him. "Thanks though….where's Stefan."

"Well your welcome…" he answered sarcastically. "And Stefan…"

"Isn't this de ja vu?" came a voice from above them. Turning around they saw Katherine standing there with a superior look on her face. "Except the last time you were in these waters it was the other brother pulling you out, Elena…"

"What are you talking about? How did you know?" Elena shot out surprised.

"No one told you? Ha. Priceless," Katherine said with a snarl. "I should be happy no one told you because it's so much sweeter to tell you myself…" She was about to say something else when she whipped her head to the side, alerted to something. She then rushed out of their view.

"What the hell did she mean, Damon…"Elena asked slowly. "How did she know? Did she…"

"Later, Elena. Something's happening up there," Damon said, pulling her up the hill. Just as they made it to the top they heard Tyler scream out a gut wrenching, "RIO!"

Elena and Damon's head turned to the direction and at once, their eyes lit up in surprise, Elena burying her head in Damon's chest as they heard ripping and tearing.

Katherine was standing protectively over an unconscious Stefan: tearing the head off one of the wolves. Elena couldn't bear to look. She didn't want to move out of Damon's grasp and see the now human body, minus a head.

The sound that followed could only be described as howls of deep pain and rage. She was too busy just listening and avoiding looking when Damon nudged her. "We have to go, Elena. We have to grab Jeremy and Stefan and get out. This is going to be ugly. Katherine is distraction enough, but only for so long…."

Elena nodded her head, trying hard not to look to where the gruesome scene must have been. Instead, she looked to where she last left Jeremy. "I get him, you get Stefan," she said, taking off.

She didn't even realize till she had reached Jeremy that she had tears streaming down her face. She would never have wished something like that on anyone; it was barbaric. If it wasn't for Jeremy lying there, she probably would have broken down in shock.

Instead, she used the adrenaline to hoist Jeremy up and hurry him to the car as fast as she could manage, keeping her eyes averted, but hearing alert. From the sounds of the growling, and laughing, apparently, Katherine was playing with them.

But Damon's cry alerted Elena, forcing her to look up. It took her a moment to realize what he was yelling about until her eyes found Stefan on the ground. She held back the wave of nausea that threatened to overtake her, swaying a bit as she held on to Jeremy.

Katherine had apparently thrown the bloodied body right on Stefan's open mouth…and he was now biting into it, his eyes looking crazy with hunger.

* * *

Damon cursed out loud, pissed that Katherine had thrown that upon Stefan. If Stefan hadn't been in such bad shape, he probably would have just shoved it off. But as it was, he was near death and hungry. He only hoped that Stefan could wean off instead of going off the wagon like he did a while back.

Katherine laughed and started into the woods with both Chloe and Tyler chasing after her. Damon took the opportunity to rush over to Stefan and try to pry the corpse from him. He had a bit of a struggle with him, but soon Stefan relented. Whether because he gave up or there was no more blood, Damon couldn't be sure.

"Let's get you out of here little brother," Damon said shaking his head. "OR do you want a doggie bag for that…ha…doggie bag. Literally," he said with a grin.

But Stefan didn't seem to be listening. Instead, he was breathing hard and staring at the body in shock and anger and…hunger. "I can't," he managed to spit out. "I can't do this…..I can't," and with that, he jumped up and ran away into the direction that Katherine had left.

"Stefan!" Damon yelled out, wanting to follow him. He would have if not for the fact that Elena and Jeremy needed his help.

He stared one more minute into the woods before he turned around and searched for Elena. He half-expected her to be passed out on the ground next to Jeremy after everything. But instead, she was sitting in her car with Jeremy passed out in the back seat. She was staring stonily ahead in the driver's seat with nothing but shock stamped across her face.

Damon approached slowly so as to not scare her. "Elena," he said softly, going to the driver's side. There was no way she was going to be driving. Not after all this.

But she didn't respond to him. Instead she continued to look ahead, staring distantly at the bridge.

"Elena," Damon said, trying again.

This time, she shook herself out of whatever she was thinking of and looked at Damon. "Yeah…" she answered. "Stefan…where's Stefan?" she said, looking around wildly, if not hesitantly.

"He…he'll be fine. I think he's running off the effects of the blood or kicking himself for something that wasn't his fault. You know him and his I love to feel guilty routine," Damon said, attempting a grin.

"We have to find him," she whispered. "If he acts like he did last time, he'll hurt someone."

"Right now we have to worry about you and Jeremy," Damon said pointedly. "And Stefan wont' be strong enough to try attacking a person right now. With any luck, that blood won't do too much to make him go off the Stefan diet…"

"I hope so," she whispered.

"Alright, move over. I'm driving," Damon said, opening the door. "Or I can sit on your lap. Either way."

Sighing, she got out of the car, stumbling a bit and grabbing Damon for support.

"It'll be alright," he said seriously. "There will be some good to come of this somehow and we'll all be ok. Even sleeping beauty back there."

She gave a weak smile and nod before getting into the car, opting to go in the back to check on Jeremy's wounds.

"We need to go to the hospital and get him looked at," she muttered as they drove off.

"I figured as much…but first things first," Damon said, reaching in his pocket for his phone and dialing a number.

"Forbes," a voice replied harshly.

"Liz…there's a bit of a mess at Wickery Bridge," Damon said coolly into the phone.

"Damon! You were there? What happened? Is Jeremy secured?" she asked quickly.

"Stefan filled me in on the way...There was a little scuffle…Jeremy got a bit bloodied and we're taking him to the hospital now. But Rio…he's…He was taken out," he said putting it mildly so as to not freak Elena out any further.

"I see," she said quietly. "I will head over there with my men as soon as possible. What of the others?"

They ran away into the woods, but they didn't harm anyone. They'll

"Alright. We'll talk later," she said. "I'll come to the hospital when we're done there."

Damon agreed and hung up, looking back at Elena. She had her head back against the seat and was staring at Jeremy in concern.

"Almost there and then they'll give him a band aid. And look at it this way," Damon said with a grin. "Jeremy will actually feel all hero-like and accomplished having getting a war wound. Trust me. It's a guy thing."

"Well as long as he knows he's never getting involved again ever, he can gloat about it all he wants," Elena replied tiredly.

"Highly doubt he'll want to sit on the sidelines after playing the game," Damon murmured as they entered the hospital parking lot.

* * *

Bonnie found herself being antsy and unable to sit still for too long. She was tired enough to probably sleep, but knowing what happened to Caroline left her unwilling to rest. If she had it her way, she'd march to the Lockwood's and even set the house ablaze, but she was sticking to the plan for Elena's sake.

Besides, they were right about waiting to bring them out to Katherine. They could be a big help and distraction enough to get rid of her. But there was one part of the plan that she only just now thought about that made her want to slap her head in stupidity: the device.

All the talk about enabling and disabling and etc. with the device, no one mentioned where it was. After the fire, it's not like they had taken it back or anything. That thought perked her up a bit instead of dissuading her. She could summon it to her instead. Of course, she couldn't set it without the Salvatore's blood, but it would be better to at least have it.

She stopped her pacing of the room and sat in her bed, concentrating. She remembered the small piece that she held in her hand that night, so she thought of that first. She didn't know what the other part was, so that she would have to ask someone, probably John, about.

Sighing, she concentrated hard and thought of the image and started searching. She let out a sigh of relief as she recognized the place where it was; the guest room at Elena's house. She held onto the image a bit longer to see if the actual device was anywhere near it, but she saw nothing in the drawer with it.

Thinking a bit, she pulled out her phone and called up Elena. She wanted something to do now and getting the device and studying a bit seemed like something to get her mind off of everything. She listened and waited as it continued to ring.

Finally, she picked up, but it wasn't Elena's voice on the other end.

"Elena's phone," Damon replied.

"Why do you have her phone?" she asked annoyed.

"You're the second person to ask me that today. I happened to use her phone earlier and it was in my pocket. She's busy at the moment, so I'll be her little messenger," he said sounding amused.

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Damon. I need to talk to Elena," she said impatiently.

"Well then you will have to wait. She's checking Jeremy in at the hospital. He got in a little fight with Fido and needs some stitches," he replied. "I'm sure she won't oppose if you show up, which I'm now sure you're bound to do."

"What!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Is she ok?"  
"She's peachy…better than Rio, may he rest in, um, pieces," he replied smoothly.

"I'm coming over," Bonnie said, quickly, hanging up the phone.

Somehow she got the bad feeling that things were going to go from bad to worse…and that she would no longer need that device after all. She didn't need her witch premonitions to figure that out.

Taking the steps two at a time, she bounded out of the house and into the night.

**Hope I kept the gore minimal for you, lol. Enjoy and Review! Title song is by Muse and just because that Twilight author decided to use that band, does not mean it's associated to her and her books. They are awesome regardless, lol. Cheers.**


	37. Down

Stefan ran into the woods, fueled on by blood and pain. His arm was still in agonizing pain, but it was starting a slow, burning heal. He followed the sounds of Katherine and the wolves, pushing past all he felt to keep his promise to Chloe that he would keep her safe.

He got there in time to see Katherine about to strike out at one of the growling wolves. "Katherine, stop," Stefan yelled. "Tyler, Chloe. Go home. You can't win this one."

Tyler still looked ready to pounce, but Chloe, eyes still on Katherine let out one large howl before she rushed to Tyler and nudged him along to run away. Stefan took that time to jump in front of Katherine and halt her interest in them.

"First you're all lovey-dovey for that human, Elena, and now you're protecting wolves? What, am I disturbing your food supply?" she asked with a hiss while she watched the wolves behind her retreat. "You're no fun."

Hearing the wolves now far away, Stefan relaxed a bit, still breathing hard from his injury. He had to hunt soon, he knew, but the human blood in his system was making it hard to concentrate. He closed his eyes and tried to pull it together, not caring that Katherine was in front of him.

"I'm surprised you defended them considering one of them was literally ripping you limb from limb," she continued. "You're not strong enough for them and clearly not strong enough for me…"

Seconds later, she was in his face commanding his attention. He opened his eyes to see her peering at him with something close to amusement mixed with concern. "Why do you not indulge in what vampires are born to drink, Stefan? Animals are nothing when it comes to sustenance and strength…why do you abstain?"

Stefan didn't feel the need to explain himself to her. Instead he shook his head, and narrowed his eyes at her. "If you're going to kill me, then go on with it already. If not, move out of my way…I have to hunt."

"Why hunt when you have blood here," Katherine said with a smile. In seconds, she brought her lips to her wrist and bit down, letting the blood trickle out. "Here….I know you want it…"

Stefan couldn't help but to stare at the glistening blood that called to him, tempting him to drink. He was finding his control waning. He had worked hard lately to keep his head clear and hunt only animals. He swore never to get off the wagon again; not after what happened last time.

"No," Stefan whispered, stepping back. He couldn't go down the path knowing that she was in town. He had to be in control and couldn't take the time to be locked up and start over again.

"That wasn't a request…"Katherine grinned, leaping on him till he was pinned on the ground. Taking the opportunity, Katherine shoved her bleeding wrist against his lips.

He tried to ignore the trickling of blood that was heading down his throat and shove her off, but the blood lust was too much. He felt extreme déjà vu as he grabbed onto her wrist and began drinking deeply.

"That has to taste better than animal blood," she purred at him as she stroked his hair with her other hand. "Besides, it's been ages since you've had my blood…"

After a while, she withdrew her hand, licking the wound closed.

"Why did you save me…why did you…why are you doing this?" Stefan asked, staring at her with wide eyes. He could feel his wounds healing and felt a deep calm—a feeling of ecstasy— that could only be brought on by blood.

"I couldn't let some wolf tear you apart," she said, cocking her head to the side and staring at him. "I couldn't let you die," she said seriously.

"I doubt very much that you care if I live or die Katherine," Stefan said, sitting up.

"Oh, I care very much Stefan…because I've always loved only you," she said with a slight grin. Stefan scrunched his eyes together in confusion and mistrust.

"And I know that deep down…you feel the same," she said seductively, leaning in and pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss and pressing him down onto the floor. He began to resist for a moment, but soon he gave in fueled on by the blood he shared and the repressed emotions he had boiling to the surface.

* * *

Elena paced the hospital room floor, eager to go check on Jeremy. The attendant at the desk insisted she changed into dry clothes and that her swollen hand be looked at. She tried to wave it off, but Damon obnoxiously forced her into it. Now she was left to pace the room in a set of borrowed scrubs and hand bandaged up to be given the ok to leave by the doctor.

Thankfully, her wait wasn't long and she signed the papers and nearly raced out of into the hall and into the waiting room. She looked around for Damon and was surprised to see that he wasn't there. Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way to one of the seats and sat down. She could only hope that Jeremy's wounds weren't too deep.

As she waited, she replayed the past hour in her head in disbelief. She skirted over the blood and gore of Stefan's arm and Rio's dismemberment and went back to the question that was nagging at her ever since Katherine popped up. 'What did Katherine know about her accident? '

That question, coupled with the ones she had about if Stefan was ok and if he was, would he be able to control himself again, had her head pounding and her heart racing. She didn't even notice Damon's presence until he started talking.

"I know. My good looks often set girls hearts beating a bit faster, it's true," he said cockily as he took a seat next to her. "Jeremy's almost out of surgery. I guess a muscle was torn, but other than that he's fine. Stitches and a home release."

Elena took it in feeling relieved that his injuries weren't life threatening. She turned to Damon, probing his deep eyes and let out a deep breath before asking him the question. "Damon…was Katherine involved with my parent's accident?"

His eyes shot up a bit at her question, but they never left hers. "Yes."

"What did she do?" she whispered.

"This is so a Stefan moment, Elena…."Damon began, but she glared at him and urged him to go on. He sighed and continued.

"When we came face to face with Katherine for the first time a week or so back, she told us how she had come to town randomly to keep tabs on me and Stefan," he said seriously. "And according to her she came in hungry and was out by the bridge…She smelled your family in the car and threw a deer in front of it, intending for your car to stop and she could feed. But your car went into the river and Stefan saved you….she didn't know who you even were until she saw Stefan take you out."

Elena stared at him in disbelief. "She threw the deer across our path….we went into the river….my parents died because she wanted to feed..." she whispered, taking it in.

"I know it's hard to take in and it's really weird how things play out, because I believe that she honestly had no clue it was you. It's a typical vampire thing to cause a car to crash and munch on the victims and…I'm not helping here," Damon said, stopping his rant as he took in Elena's shaken state.

"If Katherine never showed up, our car never would have crashed…my parents would still be alive…Jeremy would have never gotten hurt…Jenna would have her life….Bonnie's grandmother would be alive…." Elena said with tears in her eyes as she rambled on in shock.

"This is why I said to leave this to Stefan," Damon said awkwardly as he reached over to grasp her in a sideways hugs.

She didn't react to it, but instead just let everything race through her mind. It all came down to Katherine ruining everyone's lives. Her action caused the chain of events that led her to this point.

"Well look at it this way, Elena. If everything hadn't gone down that way, you wouldn't have this handsome face to admire and yell at," Damon said, trying to break the tension.

She let out a hysterical laugh before she felt tears fighting to come out, and buried herself against his chest.

Damon looked up for help and for the first time ever felt relieved to see Bonnie walking into the room.

He pointed to Elena silently and raised his brows at Bonnie. She didn't need hurrying before she was in front of Elena, shooing Damon away and grabbing Elena in for a fierce hug.

"I'm going to check on your brother," Damon said backing away, glad to have someone there for Elena who could handle it if she burst out crying.

* * *

Bonnie waited till Damon left to begin talking to Elena. "Hey…what happened?"

"I just found out that Katherine's the reason for my parent's accident," Elena uttered.

"What!" Bonnie said, caught by surprise. She was expecting her to talk about the gruesome night's events or being worried about Jeremy. But this piece of information had her floored.

"I can't go over it, not right now, but she was responsible…"Elena said trying hard to keep it together. "If she never showed up, nothing bad would have happened."

"You mean if Stefan never came to town she would have never showed up," Bonnie said stiffly. When it came down to it, the troubles all were caused by vampires.

Elena ignored the comment and continued. "And on top of it all I saw Rio get his head torn off and Stefan get his arm ripped near off the bone and Jeremy…" Elena rambled, shaking hard as she finally relived the horrors of the night. "I just wish all these bad would go away."

"I promise you it will, Elena. With everything in my power, I will make sure this town is safe again," Bonnie said seriously, looking her deep in the eyes.

"I don't need to worry about you, too," Elena said, trying to calm herself down. "And I'm not saying that all vampires are bad, either. It's just…I don't want to be worried all the time and be around all this blood and violence."

"You don't need to worry about me, Elena. I can handle myself. But all vampires are evil, Elena. You just choose not to accept that side of them," Bonnie said honestly.

"I'm not having this conversation with you right now, Bonnie," Elena said, drying her eyes with her sleeve.

"Ok, ok. I understand…Can you tell what happened then?" Bonnie asked, changing the subject. Elena sighed but shook her head in determination.

Minutes later Bonnie closed her eyes and took in what Elena had told her. "Wow...I wonder why Katherine even showed up…And Stefan? Where is he?"

"I don't know," Elena said in response to both the questions. "I can only hope that Stefan's alright…"

"Well the plus side is that you're ok and hey, no one tried to eat you, right?" Bonnie said with a grim smile.

Elena smiled in response and rolled her eyes. "I guess not, unless you count the wolf leaping at me. He could have eaten me…"

"That's another thing. Why did Tyler attack? Could he just not control himself? Either way, I don't like the idea of the wolves being around town," Bonnie said getting serious again.

"And to point out another bad thing, Bonnie, I don't think our little set the wolves against Katherine plan will work. Obviously she had no trouble with them…so I guess the whole full moon thing is a no go," Elena said shaking her head.

Bonnie was half tempted to tell her about the spell she was going to do for Katherine, but thought better of it. She didn't want to be talked out of it or have Stefan or Damon interfere.

"Well, that was assuming that Isobel would be able to meet with Katherine then, too. But the positive to this night's events is that at least the wolves might be on our side," Bonnie said with a smirk.

"They are people Bonnie. Tyler and Chloe Lockwood…"Elena said sternly. "And they just lost their brother by a vampire. I doubt they will want to jump on their side."

"They would if they know it means teaming up against the woman who killed their brother. I mean, think of it. There would be Stefan, Damon, Isobel, John, and 2 wolves…not to mention a witch," she said proudly. "She's going down, Elena. The question now is when?"

Elena was about to respond when she saw the sheriff enter the waiting room. The sight of her brought back fresh memories of Caroline and how her life had been lost tonight as well.

Elena stood up to go give her a hug, but Damon walked back in then, grabbing her attention.

"What's going on there?" Bonnie asked suspiciously.

"We'll find out soon enough," Elena muttered. "I'll be right back. I need a moment to myself."

Elena rushed to the nearest empty room, a utility closet, and locked the door. Once inside, she slid to the ground, leaning her head against the door and bringing her knees up to put her head down on. There she let the tears she had been holding in spill as she felt herself shatter into a million pieces.

**Ooh, hope I didn't piss any Stefan fans off with that Katherine scene. But I know I made at least one person happy because they've been dying for them to meet up again, lol. Anyways, hope you liked it! Enjoy and review. Title song is by Jason Walker, also on VD soundtrack. Cheers.**


	38. Make Up Your Mind

Damon filled the sheriff on the events that unfolded, deciding not to leave the part out about Katherine. He didn't tell her about their history, but only the most important parts; that she was a crazy vampire and that she looked like Elena.

"Well this should be fun…" she replied humorlessly. "Now I don't know if when Elena approaches me it's her or a killer vampire…"

"You could always make up a code word…." Damon said with a shrug.

"Why do they look alike and does Elena know about her? Does she know about any of this?" she asked tiredly.

Damon decided he didn't really need to lie about this point because it would be pointless. "As for the resemblance, I assume it's because they are related and yes, she knows about her."

"Stefan and I found it wise to let her in on it since she's got an evil double out there. So she knows, but she isn't involved in it any further. Like tonight she's only here because of Jeremy," Damon said, wanting to move on from that part of the story.

"Why was she in scrubs sitting with her hand bandaged then?" she asked confused.

"She hurt her hand earlier today. As for the scrubs, it beats me. She came to the hospital when she heard about Jeremy…She believes it was just a random animal attack," Damon said, hoping she fell for the lie.

"Hopefully we can keep it that way," she said sighing. "I don't want any more lives lost in this town."

"Well hopefully with Rio out of the picture we can at least sleep a little easier. I don't think the other two will react against the town knowing what happened wasn't anyone's fault but hers," Damon said honestly.

She shook her head looking unconvinced and then let out a sigh of relief. "I still don't trust them in the least. I think that I will have someone posted to keep an eye on them in the meantime…either that or form some kind of pact so that we don't always have to watch our backs."

"I leave that up to you," Damon said, now feeling impatient. "If we're done here, however, I'd like to make sure my brother's ok. He got a little scratched up tonight and I want to make sure it's nothing serious."

"Of course, Damon. Thanks for your help. It means a lot to me. I'm only sorry I wasn't there tonight and that your brother got hurt," she said sadly.

"And I'm sorry for your loss," Damon said with a frown.

She nodded her head and held back tears. "It's easier to take in knowing that Rio's dead."

"I only imagine you wished you could have taken him down yourself."

"Yeah…" she whispered. "Night, Damon."

"Night Liz," he said, leaving the room they stepped into and out into the waiting room where he last left Elena and Bonnie.

However, when he walked in he only saw Bonnie sitting there.

"Elena bailing Jeremy out?" Damon asked as he approached Bonnie.

"She went off to be alone for a sec and have a moment," Bonnie said sadly.

"You left her alone?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Relax. She's in that utility closet across the way. I watched her go in."

Damon looked at the closet for a minute debating whether to say goodbye before he left to go look for Stefan. Then he rolled his eyes and debated even leaving since that meant leaving her with only Bonnie.

"I don't suppose you could use your little witch powers to check up on Stefan and make sure he's not bleeding to death somewhere, could you? Cause otherwise I have the tedious job of hunting him down," he said, shaking his head.

"Wow, asking me to do you a favor now?" Bonnie said, raising her brows in surprise.

"Well it's more a favor for Elena. I don't think she'd like to deal with a dead Stefan. She'd need a better place than a utility closet to go have a moment in, then," he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I need something of his to locate him though."

Damon thought hard… "I have no reason to have anything of his…oh wait does blood work, because I got some of his blood on my shirt. It belonged to him…I'll have to give the dry cleaning bill…"

"That'll work," Bonnie said.

"You want me to strip for you," Damon joked, wagging his brows.

"Just point out to the spot and I'll go from there," Bonnie said impatiently.

Damon opened his jacket revealing a small blood stain near his chest. Bonnie placed her hand on it and concentrated. After a moment she flinched and her eyes shot open.

"What? If he's out hunting a poor little puppy, sorry you had to look," Damon said with a grin.

"Oh he's not hunting puppies…"Bonnie said slowly, still surprised. "Stefan's…with Katherine."

"Is he fighting her? Is she killing him?" Damon asked, now a bit worried.

"They were kissing in the woods…" Bonnie said now looking disgusted. "And he wasn't putting up a fight…Stefan was kissing Katherine," she repeated in surprise

From behind Damon, Bonnie heard a gasp. They turned their heads to see Elena standing there her eyes wide with tears and shock etched on her face. In seconds, she turned around and ran away down the hall.

"I should go after her," Bonnie said getting up.

"I'll take it from here...Damon said with a sigh. "I can get there faster and I think Elena might be a little pissy about your vision, not like it's your fault," he said quickly at the look on her face.

"Just tell her to call me," Bonnie said, sounding resigned. "I'm going to talk to Miss Forbes first anyways."

"Have fun with that one," Damon said sarcastically, as he stared at the door to the stairwell and counted away some seconds to give her a head start before making his way up himself.

* * *

Elena ran as fast as she could to the stairs and flung the door open, running up the flights as fast as she could. She needed fresh air and soon. She also needed to let out some of the emotions swirling around and running seemed to be the best way to do it.

When she reached the top, she opened the door marked do not enter and forced it open. The crisp night air hit her face as she walked out onto the roof and took in deep breaths after her climb. She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs; something to release the pile on of emotions that threatened to consume her.

"What did I ever do!" She yelled out as she walked around the roof and looked out on the town. Finding a lose brick sticking out low on the wall, she gave it a harsh kick and kept kicking at it angrily. She gave it one final blow, bringing her leg out behind her for a long swing and finally dislodged it, making her lose her balance at the last moment. She landed unceremoniously on her butt and didn't get up.

She just sat there glaring at it as if it had done something wrong. "What's wrong with me…am I cursed," she said to herself. "If people aren't dying around me, they're making out with the people who are fucking me over," she continued as she shed angry tears. "What the hell is wrong with you Stefan…" she murmured.

A part of her tried to reason that there was a good explanation for what Bonnie saw. She didn't know if she was willing to give Stefan the benefit of a doubt. For all she knew, it's was an uncontrollable urge after a vampire fed on human blood. Or maybe he was playing along so he could attack.

"He's mounting an attack alright…" she muttered humorlessly. "More like mounting someone…"

"Ooh, I like this Elena humor," Damon said, appearing beside her. "I didn't think you had it in you to be almost Damon-esque."

She turned her head away from him, not wanting to see him right now. She didn't question how he found her either; he was as quiet and efficient as a predator.

"Can you just go…I just want to be alone." It was bad enough that her boyfriend was out making out and doing god knows whatever with Katherine. But to have Damon who'd already done the deed here was just another reminder of how much like crap she actually felt.

"Oh don't be all broody like…brooding doesn't suit you," he said, changing his path at the look on Elena's face. "You'll wrinkle that face of yours and I know girls hate that."

"It would make me look different than Katherine at least," she said still frowning. "Apparently that's all I am ….a placeholder for the real thing…you made that clear yourself."

Damon, for once, looked like he was at a loss for words. "I'm not good at these kinds of conversations, Elena. But trust me when I say that you are who you are and could never be her replacement because besides your looks, there is nothing to compare. You are the exact opposite of everything she is and could never be."

She turned to face him and gave him a weak smile. "Flattery isn't really working…"

"Yeah, I figured as much…"

"So is her master plan to sleep with both of you? Because if that's it maybe she'll leave soon then," Elena shot out miserably.

"Ha… if that's all she wanted, I would have thought of that sooner so that she'd be gone," Damon replied. "But she made it clear to me that Stefan and I didn't really mean anything to her and if we did, it was Stefan she would choose at the end of the night…"

Now it was Elena's turn to feel sorry for Damon. "She said that to you?"

"In ten words or less, yes. And not that I'd ever stand up for Stefan, but I think there was a moment's weakness on his part. He could never sleep with her, so I think the kiss was something Bonnie saw at the wrong time," Damon said, mulling things over. "Or he's doing the dirty…."

"Whatever the case is, I'm sick of feeling like shit," Elena murmured. "So I have an idea and I'm going to need your help…that is, after I get Jeremy home."

Damon raised his brows in surprise and gave her a wicked smile. "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Stefan rolled so that Katherine would be under him as he kissed her. He was hoping that he could distract her enough to grab something, a branch, a rock; anything that could be used as a weapon. While he was finding it hard to resist her, he fought against it and thought of Elena. He nibbled at her neck while his hand searched the side for something, but he came up short.

He was about to give up and go when he spotted something above her head—a broken tree root. Slowly he reached for it, keeping his hold on Katherine when he felt something sharp pierce his shoulder. HE yelled out and rolled off Katherine and onto the floor.

"What the hell?" Katherine asked breathlessly, looking at Stefan in surprise. There was what looked like a bullet wound in his shoulder, the blood blossoming out around the wound.

"Sorry for the interruption, but you know it's quite uncouth to go at it in public," Klaus said, coming from the woods with a gun in his hand. "It's not wooden, so it shouldn't be that bad lover boy."

Katherine hissed as she stood up, brushing the branches and leaves out of her hair. "I thought you left after our conversation we had earlier. You still spying on me?"

In the meantime, Stefan reached into his shoulder and pulled the bullet out, wincing as he went along. It didn't take long for it to start to heal up. Within seconds he was on his feet and narrowing his gaze at Klaus.

"I'd hardly call it spying when I heard some epic wolf cries and smelled fresh blood. I would be called here whether you were here or not," Klaus said cocking his head to the side.

"So you shot him out of spite? Real nice… head's up, I'm not your girlfriend and I don't need some jealousy act," she said with a pout.

"I did you a favor, princess. He was going to kill you while you were all over him. It's true," he said at her disbelieving look.

Stefan kept his face blank and shook his head to deny Klaus' claim. "I wasn't What would I do, choke you to death with my super human strength" He said with a careless shrug "…but kissing you was a mistake that won't happen again. It was a moment of weakness and blood loss on my part" he said stonily.

"Your little infatuation is lying to you," Klaus said with a chuckle. "Regardless Mr. Salvatore, I did warn you that if you try to harm or kill her, I would retaliate…it would be a shame to lose your little girlfriend…if you still call her that after your little party on the floor with Katherine."

"Were you going to kill me, Stefan?" Katherine asked in a whisper, looking Stefan in the eye.

Stefan decided to stick to the lie. He didn't need an even more vengeful Katherine on his hands; he thought that it was something Damon would do in this situation. "No," he said looking her deep in the eyes.

"Well whatever really did happen," she said, still deciding if she believed him. "I know that there's still hope for you yet to come to me…After all, Damon did."

Stefan's eyes shot up at that comment. He supposed he wasn't too surprised since he had caught their scent together in town, but what did it mean then? Was he on her side? What surprised him the most, however was that anger wasn't the only emotion high on his list.

"You slept with Damon?" he asked, scrunching his brows.

"You almost sound jealous," she said with a triumphant smirk. "But yes….I'd rather have you, though."

"Go to hell," he spat out.

"Wow Katherine, after all these years you still can't make up your mind…I can make it up for you," Klaus said, his eyes lighting up dangerously.

"That won't be necessary," Stefan said before Klaus did something to attack him. "I'm leaving. Just know that next time, I will actually try to kill you."

Katherine stared off at him as he took off running into the woods.

"You always ruin all my fun," she snarled at Klaus, who laughed at her.

"Well I'm just glad you can't ruin mine," he said with a wink as he headed away in the other direction.

**See, I was nice this chapter. No evil cliffhangers, lol. Hope you like it and review. Title song is by** **Theory of a Deadman dedicated to Elena. Cheers. P.S. OMG so it's Tuesday, which means that in 2 days we will fInAlLy be watching the premiere! AHHHH!**


	39. Enjoy the Silence

**A/N****: This chapter is about FuN in celebration for the premiere….TOMORROW! AHHH! SO this is a Delena OnLy chapter! Lol. (Your welcome) Anyways, enjoy it and smile while the good time lasts! And as a heads up, I might not write tomorrow since we have the real thing! I'll play it by my mood.

* * *

**After sneaking a groggy Jeremy home as quietly as possible—Jenna and Alaric sound asleep on the couch—Elena changed out of the scrubs and into jeans and a tank top. Shortly after, she locked up and got into the car with Damon. She only hoped that Jenna didn't give her too much hell the next day or so for not being there for her when she got home.

"So do you have some place in mind?" Elena asked Damon as they continued driving a bit outside the city.

"I know a place or two that will make Georgia look like just… George," Damon said with a smirk. Minutes later, they pulled up in front of a place ablaze with blazing neon lights.

"Knockers…really, Damon?" Elena asked as they stepped out of the car. "You would, wouldn't you?"

"Oh relax. It's not about your melons, it's supposed to be about knocking them down…drinks and such...get your mind out of the gutter…dirty," he said with a wink as they walked inside. A bouncer waited at the door, but Damon merely used his compulsion and they were waved in like they were on some VIP list.

Normally Elena would have yelled at him for doing such a thing, but she wasn't in the mood. She had asked Damon to take her out to just let loose a bit. She wanted to have fun and not think about all the bad things for a while. A repeat Georgia minus vengeful vampire sounded like a great idea.

They made their way to the bar where Damon used more of his charm to have the bartender start a "tab" and ceremoniously ordered 4 shots of what he called 'the horny bull.'

"Should I be scared to drink something like that?" Elena asked eyeing him dubiously while the bartender went to work.

"Oh trust me after a few of these, you'll have so much pep in your step it will be like a bull is prodding your ass," Damon said with a chuckle.

"Should I ask what's in it or is it best to leave it to the imagination?" she asked as the bartender came over and placed shot glasses in front of them.

"Just open your mouth like a snake like you so easily do to consume alcohol and you'll be fine," he said with a smile. "Ready?"

Elena couldn't help but smile and grabbed the shot glass.

"What shall we cheers to? To happier tomorrows? To ridding the world of crazy bitches?" Damon said listing them off lazily.

But Elena shrugged and held her glass up to his. "How about we just cheers a nice…fuck em," she said carelessly, raising her glass.

Damon cheered with a clink and they downed it in one easy gulp, Elena letting out a large, wooo after it was down. "That burned a bit, but it was good."

"See, you can't go wrong with a shot that has horny in it, "he joked. "And speaking of, we have another sitting there by its lonesome."

"You got that right," Elena said grabbing the second shot glass. "To good company," she said this time with a wink.

After they were done with those, Damon and Elena made their way to the back of the bar where a beer pong table was set up. Two drunk guys looking full of themselves leaned against the table, cockily calling competitors over.

"If we beat you, you owe us a round," Elena called over with a smile.

"Alright, princess. You're on. But if we win, you owe us a little kiss," he said, licking his lips.

"Gross," she said aloud. "What do you say, Damon? Want some competition?"

"Live for it," he said with a smirk. "But I'm not kissing those ugly things over there."

Elena laughed and setup the cups. "Alright let's hear the rules."

Three rounds later the guys, looking worse for the wear, left the table; drunkenly mumbling something about superhuman aiming skills and sheer luck. After they left, Damon held his hand up in a high five gesture. "Now that was epic…you can really hold your own there, Elena."

She slapped his hand enthusiastically almost losing her balance in the process. "What can I say, I'm a good shot. And speaking of, I think we're about due for another one."

"You sure there?" he said sounding amused as he took in her glazed eyes.

"Do I have to remind you that my tolerance is so high…like as high as Stefan's mightier than thou thrown he sits on," Elena said, then covering her mouth as she stifled a laugh.

Damon let out a genuine laugh at that one. "Oh I like that one. That itself deserves a drink."

The night went on from there as they made their way around the bar shooting some pool or just hanging out. Towards the end, Elena dragged Damon out onto the dance floor where the beat was pounding and hard to resist.

"So this is what it's like to have a willing dance partner," Damon said as he and Elena danced to the music.

She smiled and responded by dancing closer to him and moving her hips against his to the beat. They danced like that for a few songs until the dj switched to a slower song to signal the closing of the bar.

Elena rolled her eyes and pouted. "They always have to switch it to some moody slow song and ruin the buzz," she complained.

"Well let's finish the night off and head out then," he said, holding his hand out to her.

"This reminds me of that miss mystic falls dance," she said shaking her head. "But without the weirdo no touch thing in the beginning."

They slow danced for a while, Elena resting her head against his shoulder. She was both tired and drunk enough to just either pass out or stay like that for a long time. To revive herself she began talking in what she hoped was her clear voice.

"Thanks for this Damon. I needed it," she mumbled.

"Does this mean you can trust me again?" he said turning her so she faced him.

"Oh, no. I'm still on the fence about that mister jump in bed with she who must not be named," Elena murmured teasingly. "But I had fun tonight and it wouldn't have been possible without your help."

Damon shrugged off the Katherine reference and cocked his head to the side. "Well, you aren't the worst company in the world, Elena," he joked.

"I've heard that before…alright, this slow song is making me want to sleep, let's go," she said, grabbing his hand. "But I want to do one more thing and then I can tell you if I've decided to trust you again…."

"Ooh…I'm intrigued. If it's how many belly shots you can do, I must warn you, I'm ticklish," he said devilishly. "or…."

But before he could continue, Elena leaned in and began kissing him fiercely on the lips. He was caught by surprise, but it didn't take long before he returned the kiss, bringing her closer to him and putting his hand on her neck. He could feel passion and fire in their embrace, but he knew he had to stop.

He pulled away from Elena who looked at him without shame. "You're drunk," he said shaking his head although the only thing he wanted to do was kiss her and take her on the floor right now. "Let's get you in bed, and by bed I mean sleeping, and call it a night."

In response she let out a big grin and gave him a sloppy hug. "Now I can trust you," she said mischievously. "You could have taken advantage of me, and you didn't… and as for sleeping, so not ready for that yet. Let's go back and dance some more," she said heading for the door.

Damon was left standing there a second staring at her in shock. "Oh you're good….you're evil, though," he said in disbelief. He would probably look back at this point of the night and kick himself later, but for now they were having some random fun. "Leading a man on like that…" he continued

"In a place called Knockers of all places," she joked as they made it outside. "Besides, you're not a man…"

"Touché," he said, tipping his head exaggeratedly.

"Was that terrible of me? Does that make me a terrible person?" she said all of a sudden. "I mean, I probably shouldn't have made out with you to prove a point or something….I'm sorry...

"Are we going down the downer route, because I thought we left that on the roof on the hospital," he said scolding her. "And no you are not a terrible person. It's all fun and games tonight. No harm done. BUT don't' lie later and say you did it only to show I'm trustful…I am irresistible he said," wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

She sighed, looking relieved, and shook her head at his last comment. She smiled and was going to respond when she heard her phone go off. "You still have my phone," she said with an accusatory glance at Damon.

"That I do," he said, taking it out and looking at the caller id. "It's Stefan."

She snatched it out of his hands and picked up.

"Elena," Stefan began. "Are you alright? I wanted to call and make sure you were. I'm out…"

"Making out with Katherine," she said interrupting him angrily. "I know. I bet you had a good ole time too. Let me guess, you're going to be out late tonight 'hunting,'" she said in a mock male voice. "Save me the lies. And I'll have you know I'm just fine."

Stefan was silent for a while before he answered. "How did…I can explain, Elena. And…are you drunk?"

"Ooh, I'm sure you can explain. I'd love to hear it. And whether I'm drunk or not is not an issue or a concern and you know what," she muttered, looking over at an amused Damon. "Go screw yourself, or better yet, her since that's what you wanted to do anyway."

And with that, she shut her phone off and shoved it in her pocket.

Damon laughed out loud at that one and headed to the car. "Oh. It would have been priceless to see Stefan's face…but at least we know he's alive."

"Apparently," Elena said, narrowing her eyes. "Alright, let's head back and hope mr. buzz kill won't be there," she said, climbing into the passenger side.

By the time they made it to the boarding house, Elena was passed out. He called her name to see if she would wake up or not and then resorted to a little shake of her shoulder. Then he last resorted to his favorite method and blasted his radio as loud as it went. That did the trick, causing her to shoot up and look around in alarm.

"You gotta stop doing that," she muttered sloppily as she opened the door and got out.

"Why stop something that's so fun," he said with a grin as he made his way to the passenger side to help her up the walk. She was now doing the drunk sideways walking and was basically half asleep on her feet.

She mumbled something in response, but Damon didn't quite understand and just nodded his head in response. They entered the house, half expecting Stefan to be there but he was nowhere to be found.

Elena, getting a little burst of energy, released herself from Damon's grasp and went to turn on the CD player. Halestorm's "I get off" started off playing and Elena started swaying to the music and shaking her head to the beat, calling Damon over to join her. After a minute or so, however, she lost her balance and nearly fell before Damon caught her.

"And that's your cue to pass out," he said, lifting her up. "Let's go."

"I'm fine," she muttered, but let him lead her upstairs. She was about to climb up slowly when Damon sighed and picked her up, practically flying up the stairs in ease before she could complain.

"Can I stay in the guest room? I can't handle being in Stefan's room right now," she murmured as she stared at the doors.

Damon obliged and dropped her off on the four poster bed across the hall from his room. "Thanks," she mumbled as she curled up on top of the comforter and started to pass out.

"You're hopeless," Damon said rolling his eyes as he went to the corner of the room to grab her a blanket since she was on top of the bed.

He draped it across and was about to leave when she grabbed his hand. "Pop a squat," she murmured. "Until I pass out at least. You place is kind of creepy."

"Vampires kind of like creepy, didn't you know," he said, lying down on the other side of her. "We collect spiders and dead mice and display them and everything."

She let out a low chuckle and turned her head drunkenly to face him. "Damon…"

"Elena," he said back in the same tone.

"I'm so glad we're friends…who would have thought," she trailed off as she passed out, her head dropping on his chest.

"I'm glad too, Elena," he said with a chuckle as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, too.

**Ok, so I'm not condoning underage drinking-even if I did do it myself- but in all truth, the show had them drinking so it's perfectly fine that I did. Hope you thought it was fun and not too pointless. I loved writing it! Title song is by Anberlin . Enjoy and review. Cheers.**


	40. Glycerine

**A/N: Oh my freakin god. If you saw the premiere you'll know why I'm saying this! OMFG. I'm still in shock! Anyways, here's the chapter even though I'm still stuck on reeling from the premiere that I can barely concentrate…wow… P.S. Yay for he 40th chapter...wow!

* * *

**After hanging up with Elena, Stefan took a second to calm his breathing. He could only assume Bonnie used a locating spell and saw him and Katherine, otherwise she couldn't have known. He could only hope that Elena would give him the time to explain. What made him angry was the fact that she was so quick to judge and was out most likely drinking with Damon—who was the one to sleep with Katherine and could possibly be a traitor right now.

He knew he had to pull himself together before he got home. He had to feed, that much was clear, but he knew now that an animal would do nothing to help him. Against everything he wanted to do, he made up his mind to go rob the blood bank. If anything, he figured, he would wean off of it again after everything with Katherine was over. Now wasn't the time to get weak.

As he sped off in the woods to head to the blood bank, he couldn't help but to wonder if it was a good thing he was on human blood again. He would be stronger and more able to protect people now, especially Elena; he could be more dependable for her.

His trip was filled with raging emotions flowing through his head; his weird feelings toward Katherine, his anger at Damon, his love for Elena. Not to mention the questions he had for Katherine that included why she cared for him—that is id he believed that she cared for him—and why she forced him to drink blood; save him for that matter.

If she loved him like she claimed, he wouldn't force her to drink human blood again… "But Elena did the same thing when you were dying," another voice reasoned in the back of his head. He shrugged it off and made his way to the blood bank.

An hour or so later, Stefan made it back to the boarding house with a full cooler. He brought it into the house and looked around curiously. The house was quiet; too quiet for his liking. Narrowing his eyes, he headed up stairs, intending on going to Damon's room. He found unnecessary, however, as he noticed the guest room door open with all the lights on.

He walked in and felt his anger flare immediately. Elena was sprawled out on Damon's chest, her head tucked under his chin. Damon had one arm around her while the other still remained on his stomach. To Stefan it looked innocent enough; like they had passed out that way instead of possibly doing some things he'd rather not think about. But that wasn't the point. He cleared his throat loudly, hoping to only wake Damon.

"There's some desperate housewife in the fridge. Go quench your dry throat with that…Elena's taken," Damon mumbled as he opened his eyes to glare at Stefan.

"A word with you if you don't mind," Stefan said through gritted teeth.

"You didn't say please," he teased. "Alright….let me just move your girlfriend off me a bit…there we go," he said with a smirk.

He left the room then and followed Stefan back downstairs so as to not disturb Elena.

"So how goes it brother? You get some Katherine loving?" he said with raised brows.

"Not more than you did apparently?" Stefan said angrily. "You want to explain why I shouldn't be trying to rip your throat out right now?

Damon crossed his arms over his chest and pretended to think for a moment. "Are you angry about me sleeping with Katherine or for falling asleep with Elena?" he said with a wink. "OR can you not make up your mind and it's both?"

"Well I will answer both regardless," Damon said, not waiting for Stefan's response. "I slept with Katherine, I'll admit it. It was fun and memorable and all that jazz, but the next time I'm in her bed, it will be her deathbed and I will be dancing on it….and as for Elena, I took her out for the night because she was going to self-explode after all the shit that's happened…as the boyfriend, you should have been there for her…shame shame," he said, opening Stefan's newly acquired cooler.

Stefan stood there, balling his fists in anger. "I would have explained it to her if she would have let me. And I couldn't go with you guys to make sure she was ok because I wasn't stable, Damon. I would have harmed her and had no control. It's not my fault."

"Oh, saints are never to be faulted for anything…" Damon said, rolling his eyes. "So what did happen with you and Katherine, then?" he asked curiously. "And I assume you're off the wagon again what with this cooler sitting out here…"

"Katherine forced me to drink her blood and then she started kissing me," Stefan said, looking uncomfortable. "I played along for a bit until I could find a weapon and I was close to killing her, but I was interrupted."

"By woody wood pecker?" Damon said with a chuckle. "Ha. Get it woody wood…go on," he said, shaking his head. "My humor is lost on you…"

"I'm glad you can find any of this funny, Damon. We have a serious situation on our hands," Stefan said stonily. "Klaus is here as her personal body guard…we kill Katherine, he kills Elena…"

Damon let out a sigh and arched his brows. "So we hide Elena after we kill Katherine…or we just kill Klaus first…"

"How do you kill a vampire who's hundreds of years older than Katherine," Stefan asked exasperated.

"You don't have to kill a vampire to get them to back off," John said, heading into the room. "You left me in a human cell, Damon, it wasn't hard to get out," he said with a glare at his surprised look.

"I have a plan," he said seriously, looking from Damon to Stefan.

* * *

Tyler and Chloe sat in silence in the living room, which now looked like a tornado ripped through it. Once they had gotten back and eventually transformed, Chloe let loose her anguish on all parts of the room; throwing all breakables and ripping everything in sight.

Tyler didn't know why she didn't just stay a wolf and go attack something, but he could only assume there was better satisfaction in breaking things this way. He was for the most part a bit numb with how he felt. Chloe, after all, was Rio's twin. They had a connection Tyler could never fully comprehend and she'd always been around him. Tyler, on the other hand, rarely saw either of them and was never close.

"I don't understand…." Tyler finally said. "So the Salvatores' are vampires….and there's someone who looks just like Elena who's a vampire too…"

"And she fuckin ripped Rio's head off…what is there not to understand, Tyler?" she lashed off viciously. "Rio didn't know when to back down because he was a hot head and it got him killed…"

"I don't understand why they were there or why Rio got so angry," Tyler said defensively.

"Well Stefan came to exchange me for Jeremy and as promised, kept me safe…" she said reluctantly. "He showed me what he was at the jailhouse so that we could trust each other. Apparently, his brother showed up too and everything just went out of control…"

"It's my fault," Tyler blurted out. "If I hadn't been the one to lose control and attack, we could have taken Rio down calmly or the vampires wouldn't have felt the need to attack and defend….I'm just always a big disappointment…"

"Stop throwing the blame on yourself, Tyler. It'll get you nowhere fast," Chloe said sharply. "Rio was at fault for his own actions. If he would have walked away from Stefan, that bitch wouldn't have stepped in…"

"He didn't deserve a death like that…he deserved punishment….but not death," Tyler whispered with a shudder.

"I can't believe he's gone," Chloe said with tears in her eyes. "I feel like I've lost half of myself…." She said breaking down.

Tyler walked over to her and grasped her tightly in a hug and let her break down. Although she was always trying to be the tough guy like her brother, he knew that she was just as scared and insecure as Tyler.

"He wasn't always such a bad guy. I don't know how he just changed…" she murmured. "I think being a werewolf changed him for the worse and got to the extreme when dad died…he felt some need to be the big guy on campus…"

"He felt the need to take the lead as always, Chloe. The best we can do is think of the good in him," Tyler whispered.

"No," she said with a sniffle, pulling away from him. "We need to figure out where to go from here to avenge him. That's the best thing we can do."

Tyler shook his head. He knew she would eventually get to that point, but he was hoping it was put off till later. "Chloe. That vampire tossed Rio aside like a doll and he was the strongest of us…what hope do we have to take her down…"

"We don't do it alone, then," she said defiantly. "We get the Salvatore's to help. They help us or we take someone they love out of their life….like the vampire's look alike."

"You want to trust vampires after tonight?" Tyler said in surprise. "They're probably on the same side and besides, we can't threaten a human life… I mean do you hear yourself? You're sounding like…" but he didn't finish it.

"I sound like Rio…" She said with narrowed eyes. "Well then maybe I can understand now where he was coming from. But hear me out. I said we threaten them with it; we won't actually act on it. The best we can hope is that they think we will follow through because of what Rio did."

"That's actually a pretty smart idea and it could work" Tyler said in shock. "As long as you promise not to go dark side and kill someone innocent, I say that getting help is a must."

"But, I have a feeling we won't need to threaten anyone," Tyler said, thinking of Jeremy. But when he thought of Jeremy he came to a sudden realization.

"Chloe…they want that chick….Katherine…taken out just as much as we do," Tyler said slowly remembering his conversation with Jeremy in the alley. "Jeremy told me about some crazy vampire named Katherine who was dangerous and threatening and asked for my help…we won't have trouble getting help, then. I'm sure of it."

Chloe didn't look comforted by this fact, however; she looked pissed off. "Then it was a set up," she whispered angrily. "HE lied…he didn't want to help me or make sure I was safe…he wanted us to take her down or distract her…" she said rambling off.

"What? You said Stefan came to help you get me. Katherine wasn't there. She came out of nowhere," Tyler said confused.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," she said angrily. "It's too suspicious that they want her taken out too and she pops up where we are after you learn she's a threat…"

"Before you go all crazy, I'll get the facts, ok. We have to trust somebody, Chloe, or we're good as dead," Tyler said seriously.

* * *

Bonnie lay in bed, the sunlight streaming over her sheets. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink since she got in. There was too much running through her head to concentrate. Everything seemed to be going to shit in town and she couldn't protect anything as she had promised to do.

Tyler's brother was ripped apart, Elena was falling apart, and Stefan could be going rogue and taking the town apart as she laid there. It was all so frustrating and nerve wracking. She was kind of glad it was morning, now, so that she could figure things out.

Her only solace now came from the conversation she had with Sheriff Forbs before she left.

_Bonnie had just watched Damon head after Elena and while she felt the overwhelming need to take him down and go herself, she knew he was a bit right. Although she'd done no wrong in seeing the vision, Elena probably didn't want to see her. She didn't like how close her and Damon were getting, but if he kept her safe then she had to let it go a bit._

_She got up and saw Caroline's mom about to head out and stopped her._

"_Ms. Forbes," Bonnie said heading over to her. "How are you doing?"_

"_Bonnie? What are you doing here?" she asked looking her over. "You're not hurt are you? Did somebody…"_

"_NO, no. I'm fine. I was here for Elena. Her brother's here getting some stitches," Bonnie said explaining. _

"_Good...I couldn't bear to hear if someone else got hurt or killed tonight," she replied looking tired. "But I'm dealing…thanks for asking, Bonnie. You were a really great friend to Caroline and I'll always appreciate that," she said somberly._

_Bonnie titled her head to the side in sadness and then reached out and gave her a deep hug. That's when the vision hit her and she held in the gasp that threatened to leave her body._

"_You sure you're alright, Bonnie?" she asked looking at her curiously as tears streamed from Bonnie's eyes._

"_Yeah," Bonnie managed to utter. "I'm sorry. I don't want to make you more upset. I'm going home anyways."_

"_Be safe, Bonnie."_

"_I will," Bonnie said, rushing to the elevators._

_As they dinged shut she slid down and began crying, the vision she had fresh in her mind: Caroline lying in a hospital bed with wires and tubes sticking out…inside the hospital….her heart monitor very much in motion._

_Caroline was alive._

**Surprise, lol! You'll find out more about this twist later, lol. I just hope no one hates me now, lol. Anyways, I'm still OMG from the premiere even at this very second. AHHH! And random, but I can't wait till Mads Langer releases that song "the river has run wild," from that episode because it was beautiful. Ok, enough rambling. Enjoy and review. Title song is from Bush. Cheers.**


	41. 24

Elena woke up and squinted her eyes into the glaring light. She was going to hide her head under the covers and turn over when a voice spoke.

"Morning," Stefan said from the corner of the room.

She slowly brought her head up and turned to see Stefan standing there, his eyes scrunched in an indiscernible expression. "What are you doing in here?" she asked, stifling a yawn and grimacing as she realized she had extreme dry mouth.

"Where have you been? I mean, you could have called and told me you were ok," she mumbled. "I mean, I kind of knew where you were, but not knowing you were still alive or unhurt," she said, shaking her head.

"I did call you," Stefan said in confusion.

"No you didn't," she said staring at him in concern.

"You don't remember," Stefan said, understanding dawning on his face. "I called you last night and told you…"

"I guess I drank a little too much," Elena said groggily. Then she thought about it for a bit and her face lit up in understanding. Before she and Damon had left, her phone had gone off and she yelled at Stefan. It was all coming to her now that she was waking up.

"I remember…" she said sounding alert and angered. "And even though I was a bit harsher than I would be sober, I'm still hurt Stefan. I know what you were doing because Bonnie saw you and I want to know what happened. The truth, Stefan."

"I can explain," Stefan said warily. "I swear to you it meant nothing. She had fed me her blood and then before I knew it, the blood lust kicked in a bit, but I got control. And when I did, I tried to kill her but Klaus stepped in."

"Klaus?" she asked, sitting up and regretting it as she felt the room spin.

"You alright?" Stefan asked nervously as it looked like she was going to be sick.

"Fine…what was Klaus doing there?" she said, taking slow breaths in.

"I guess he was there earlier watching the fight and never left. He saw me try to attack her and he shot me. Luckily, she believed me when I said I wasn't going to kill her," Stefan said, shaking his head. "Or I might not be explaining this to you right now."

"I don't understand how you could do it, Stefan," she said with hurt lining her face. "I mean, I know it's horrible that she forced blood on you, but you didn't have to kiss her back…did you sleep with her?"

"No. I swear. It was only a kiss…but speaking of sleeping with her, there's something I need to tell you," Stefan started.

She held her hand up to stop him. "I already know about Damon, Stefan. He told me before we even got to the bridge."

This idea made Stefan extremely mad for no reason. "And you're ok with that?"

Elena got out of bed and walked over to Stefan with her eyes scrunched up in anger. "I was disappointed that he would let Katherine in only to have her mess with him again. Not to mention I didn't know what this even meant-if he was on her side or not. But I think after 145 years it's only fair that he was weak…But you kissing her…it's not ok," she ended shaking her head.

"How can you be ok with him having sex with her and be completely angry with me for kissing her in only an attempt to take her down?" Stefan said, his voice rising in anger.

She looked at him nervously, worried at his sudden anger. "Unlike you, Stefan, he's not my boyfriend. If he sleeps with someone else, it's his choice. I already told him how I feel; I don't need to have this conversation with you. And throughout everything, I believe he can be trusted."

"It's you I have to worry about now," she said looking at him closely. "I don't think she'll stop until she has you too, and you seem all too willing to give it a shot. Not to mention you're off the animal diet again."

Stefan just stood there staring at her angry, making Elena uncomfortable.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she said, walking away. But before she could leave, Stefan grasped her wrist forcefully.

"You're taking his side over mine?" he hissed out angrily.

"Stefan, let go. You're hurting me," she said, struggling out of his grip.

"I almost died tonight and I had to feed to survive. You did the same to me that night months ago. You're judging me now because of Katherine and a meaningless kiss? That's shallow even for you Elena," Stefan said, not releasing his grasp. "And how dare you say Damon can be trusted just like that," he continued.

"He gave me reason to, and you're not right now, Stefan. So let me go," she said calmly, not wanting to rile him up any more.

But he stood there still staring at her, apparently trying to get it under control.

"Stefan," she shouted at him to get his attention.

"You heard her, Stefan. Let her go," Damon said with hostitily as he entered the room.

* * *

Caroline didn't know how she had gotten where she was now. The last thing she remembered was listening in on a meeting with Rio, who grabbed her and knocked her out. What happened after was a blur of nothing but pain that involved a wolf tearing and biting at her…and flames…And then Rio was there again looming over her.

She vaguely remembered asking for his help, but he sneered at her and stabbed her, laughing as he walked away and muttered something about leaving it up to fate. None of it made any sense to her. She kept trying to remember what happened next; what brought her to the hospital.

Was she so passed out and gone that she couldn't piece it together? She could only guess she was unconscience from then on out and that should have made her grateful, but it didn't.

She opened her eyes in frustration and looked around the hospital room. Shortly afterward, she shut them again. The lights felt way too bright for her as did the ones flashing on the screen. She felt like all her senses were on high alert.

She could smell the antiseptics in the air and feel the stiffness of the sheets uncomfortably against her body; the machines and footsteps sounded ten times louder. If it could all just get turned down she would have time to remember more and concentrate…sleep. But now that she was awake, something else was brought to her attention: she was hungry.

Forcing her eyes open again, she looked around for a nurse or someone that could help her. She was about to press a button when her mom came through the doors. "Mom!" she said, almost bursting out into tears.

"You're awake!" her mom said, relief etched on every line on her face. "You don't know how happy I am to see you up and talking right now. I thought I lost you…"

"Yeah…I thought I was gone too," Caroline replied. "I don't' remember getting here. What happened? Did you like, show up and get me?"

"Don't worry about that now, Caroline. Just focus on getting better. The mere fact that you're chatting and alert is a miracle," she said with a smile as she leaned over to give her a hug.

Caroline hugged her gratefully and felt a weird sensation flow through her at the touch. She couldn't place it though, but it was as if she wanted something…She was aware now that her head was pounding and her gums seemed to hurt.

"Oww…" she moaned as she got out of her mom's grasp. "My head hurts…"

"I'll have the nurse come and check on you," she said with concern, pressing the call button.

"Man, I must have everyone worried again…in the hospital…again. I'm cursed," Caroline complained as she held her head in her hands. "Is anyone else here?"

Her mom sighed and bit her lip. "I have to tell you something, Caroline. I don't know if now is the right time, but first…do you remember what happened to you? You can just say yes or no. You don't have to explain if you don't want to."

Caroline shook her head, aware that the pain had ebbed a bit. "I remember. It was Rio…he attacked me…and then that wolf got in and there was a fire…it was insane and…."

"I know now it was Rio, but for your own safety…But until I knew for sure about the danger, I made sure they pronounced you dead on the news," Liz said seriously.

"What?" Caroline shrieked out. "What do you mean….are you saying no one knows I'm alive?"

"If the killer was still out there, I didn't want him to catch wind that you were alive. So I played it out that you were dead…and I want to keep it that way till things settle down. I know it's a lot to take, but it's the best way, believe me," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Mom…That means my best friends, my boyfriend, everyone I know are crying over me or something. We can't do that. Tell them I'm ok," she said, getting angry.

"Please don't make it harder than it is. I swear once I know you're safe, everyone will know the truth," she said as the nurse came in the room.

Caroline shook her head with tears in her eyes. "No. I want out of here. Now."

"You need to calm down," the nurse said soothingly as she prepared to give Caroline a shot of pain killers and sedative.

"I don't want that," she said angrily, shoving the nurse aside. But she was thrown back a bit further than Caroline had expected, crashing against the cart and into the wall.

"Caroline!" Liz said in shock as she went to help the nurse.

Caroline looked on in horror as the nurse shook her head and started to get up. Her senses went wild as she heard the nurses heart beat rise—wait, she could hear the heart beat?—and she swore she smelled blood. This made her gums ache even more and force a weird sensation to rise in the pit of her stomach, something that felt like hunger.

She wanted to attack and she didn't understand why. She was scaring herself and she didn't like it. So instead, she jumped out of bed and flew out of the room before her mother could protest. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to get out of there. Something was wrong…terribly wrong.

* * *

Bonnie had decided to drive around a bit to relieve the energy and stress she had built up. She didn't know what her vision about Caroline meant; if she was alive, then why didn't her mom tell anyone? And furthermore, why didn't she see her alive when she had the last vision?

But she was able to answer the second part of her question soon enough. She had stopped herself from seeing past the flat line in the ambulance. She had assumed there wasn't more to see and if there was, it would just be some horrific struggling or attempts to resuscitate her. She now wished her vision wasn't so choppy. The emotions she had that led her to the vision caused her power to be so erratic that she only saw bits and pieces and not the whole story.

What was worse, in her opinion, was that she couldn't ask the sheriff what was up because then she'd look suspicious. No one knew Caroline was alive, why should she? But something terrible was nagging at Bonnie with Caroline. She needed to see her and make sure she would be alright. Make sure that her vision was indeed true and not some deep wish of the sheriff to see Caroline alive in the hospital bed or something.

Bonnie was on her way to the park to just calm down and meditate before going to talk to Elena when her phone went off. Keeping her eyes on the road, she reached for her phone on the dashboard and glanced at the caller id real quick. It gave her a number she didn't know, but she decided to answer anyway.

"Hello?" she asked curiously.

"Oh my god, Bonnie. You have to help me," came Caroline's panicked voice.

"Caroline!" Bonnie yelled, almost swerving in the road in surprise. "You're ok, you're…what's wrong?" she asked, composing herself.

"I don't know Bonnie. I just need you to come get me. Please. I didn't know who else to call and you're like, one of the few numbers I have memorized," she pleaded. "I'm at a payphone at that weirdo hippie store a block away from the hospital."

"What! Why aren't you in t…."

"Please, Bonnie," Caroline said, almost crying, "something's wrong and you're the only one who can help me."

"Alright. I'll be right there, ok? I'm almost in town anyway. Stay put," Bonnie said as she hang up.

She got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Caroline bailed from the hospital and something was wrong…

"I hope she's not turning into a werewolf," Bonnie said with dread as she sped up and headed toward the shop.

**So FYI, the show is totally copying my Caroline idea and will make me look like a poser, lol! Damn! That being said, lol, hope you like it regardless. Enjoy and review. Title is by Jem. You have to listen to the song to appreciate why I'm using the title and I listened to it as I wrote…sooo… . Cheers.**


	42. Trouble

**A/N: Sorry for the later update. I've been too excited for both the VMA's and the season finale of True Blood to concentrate enough! Anyways, better late than never, right?

* * *

**Stefan snapped out of his mood and released Elena's wrist. "I'm sorry…" he said apologetically. "Are you alrig…."

"I'm fine," Elena snapped at him. "Just…cool down. I need to take a shower," she said hurriedly as she walked by him and out the door. Damon stood there staring at her a bit, assessing her expression before he moved out of the way.

"Want me to join you?" he asked with a wink. He could hear her sigh of annoyance down the hall as she slammed the bathroom door shut.

"You need to settle your anger issues, little brother. Elena's not going to feel safe here with you manhandling her and her father wanting to gnaw on her…" he said, shaking his head.

"And you can make her feel safe?" Stefan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"If you haven't noticed, I've been saving her ass lately while you're out and about…making out with Katherine," he ended sourly.

"I already explained that to you. We don't need to go over it again," Stefan said angrily.

"Oh I felt the need to rub it in since you always have the urge to remind me all the time about you and Elena's relationship….so," Damon said with a shrug. "Before you got all touchy with Elena, did you tell her about our plan?"

"Didn't get that far," Stefan mumbled rubbing his arm. He was feeling hungry now and it was making him anxious.

"Yeah, this human diet is going to be a bitch again, I can already tell," Damon said. "So you told her about Katherine and she told you about us and you got all angry."

"Yeah, I. Wait. What do you mean us? Did something happen?" he asked suddenly.

"Awkward…"Damon said, raising his brows. "Well I suppose it's good that she didn't tell you or maybe you would have done more than grip her wrist a bit too hard. Now don't' get too angry, but…she kind of kissed me last night."

"But, and this is the important part," Damon started since Stefan looked like he was going to lunge at him in anger. "She only did it to test if I was trustworthy; make sure I wouldn't take advantage of her in her drunken state. And, I passed with flying colors, thank you very much. And don't go wanting to punch me, I could have bragged and said I was just as irresistible as a juicy human is to you now…"

"I can't believe she would do that; it doesn't sound like something she would do to prove a point," Stefan said, curling his hands into fists.

"Well, she did it and now it's out the open. A bit hypocritical of her to judge your actions if you ask me... But, anyways, in her defense, I think she only did it because I tried to do the same thing to her before I slept with Katherine, only I wasn't checking to see if she was trustworthy," he said wagging his brows.

"What!" Stefan said angrily.

"I kissed Elena; she got all angry at me. I left, slept with Katherine and then you know the rest," Damon said smugly. "Though I am surprised you didn't sleep with Katherine or that Elena never mentioned the first time to…."

The veins on Stefan's face protruded as he lunged for Damon, sending them both over the banister and onto the floor below with a loud boom. They fought as they hit, Stefan punching and clawing; Damon returning and rebutting punch for punch.

Suddenly, John was there in the middle trying to break it up. "Seriously, enough," he said, trying hard to pull them off each other, but they each seemed to want a good fight. So they kept at it, John trying fruitlessly to separate them.

"Guys, stop it!" Elena shouted from the top of the stairs. She was still dripping water and was wrapped in a towel staring at them in horror. She had heard the loud bang and got out as soon as she could.

The fighting paused for a minute, everyone taking in small breaths as they continued to glare at each other. Stefan and John, however, kept looking at Elena.

"Elena. You might either want to throw clothes on or go back in the shower, because you're all like, Christmas dinner standing there all naked-like," Damon said sarcastically as he watched Stefan and John control their urge to attack.

Elena nodded her head in understanding and backed hurriedly down the hall, effectively ending their fight.

"What the hell was that about?" John asked after a moment, looking at the brothers.

"Oh Stefan just venting out his frustrations…Though, I will admit I goaded him on just a bit," he said, punching his fingers together. "So let's say we talk like civilized people…or go at it again outside. I'm fine with either."

"How about you guys don't and save your strength and anger to getting rid of Katherine," John said annoyed.

"Love to, but I want Damon gone, "Stefan said angrily. "Get out of this house. Now."

"I think you've been watching Lifetime too much. Stefan…'get out of my house,'" he said in a mock girly voice. "If you think I'm going anywhere, you're sadly mistaken. Let's talk, shall we," he said, walking toward the living room.

John threw his hands up in frustration but followed Damon, leaving behind a very pissed off Stefan, who stalked them angrily to the next room.

* * *

Bonnie whipped around the corner, wondering if Caroline would be in the front of the store or the back. She assumed the back and went around. Sure enough, she saw Caroline crouched in the shadows near the back door dressed only in the hospital gown.

"Caroline!" Bonnie yelled out as she put the car in park and got out of the car. Caroline's head shot up at her voice and she smiled thankfully.

Bonnie grasped her firmly as soon as they met halfway, hugging her close. But the contact was all Bonnie needed to know that something was wrong. Caroline was…she was different, changing…but not into what Bonnie expected.

"Oh my god, Bonnie. Thank you so much for coming to get me. I'm freaking out right now," Caroline said as they broke away.

Bonnie composed herself so as to not freak Caroline out. Instead, she looked her over carefully, noticing the subtle changes that had come over her. "Anytime, Caroline. What's going on? Why aren't you at the hospital? I mean, everyone thinks you're dead…."

"I can explain in the car," Caroline said, her eyes, which Bonnie noticed were squinted, were darting around in panic.

Nodding her head, Bonnie led her over to the car. "Where do you want to go?"

"Can we go to like, your house. Somewhere that's not my place. I don't want my mom to find me," she said nervously.

If Bonnie was right in her feelings, she knew exactly the right place she should go right now. But she didn't know who to trust there given the circumstance. But it wasn't safe to go to her house with Caroline like this.

"I know the perfect place…just talk. What happened, Caroline?" Bonnie said, sending her furtive glances as she drove.

"I don't really understand myself, but I feel weird. And I figure since you're kind of all weird with the witch stuff, you could help me out too," Caroline started.

"What do you mean you feel weird?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline began explaining what happened at the hospital and what she remembered of the night before. She ended the story with the incident with the nurse and her escaping to the store she was just at.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. Do I have like, rabies or something from that wolf? I...I just knew I couldn't stay in the hospital…Speak to me, Bonnie. You're freaking me out," Caroline ended, looking at Bonnie in concern.

"Can you remember what happened to you?" Bonnie said in response. "I mean…you just remember Rio being there…" she said, hinting at her to try to remember something…someone else.

Caroline squinted her eyes shut in vein, trying to remember. "No, Bonnie. I was kind of busy dying or something. I don't know," she said angrily.

"Ok, ok. Sorry. I'm just trying to figure it out to help you," Bonnie replied, noticing how Caroline was grasping her head and rubbing at her jaw.

"So you think there's something def. wrong with me? Are you going to look in that book you were going to pull out that day you were totally freaking out about Elena," Caroline asked, thinking back to that day.

"I don't think there's anything in there to help you," Bonnie said slowly.

"Crap," Caroline muttered, starting to cry. "I'm a freak… I just know it…I just want to like, fall asleep or something to get my mind off of all these weird feelings."

"Well we're almost there. Then we'll figure it out, ok?" Bonnie said with a comforting smile as she got closer to the boarding house.

"Where are we going anyway?" she said looking around. "Wait, isn't this the way to the Salvatores…" she trailed off.

"Elena's there and I figured she could help figure it out too," Bonnie said quickly, not wanting to alarm Caroline.

"Elena…" Caroline said nodding her head. Then suddenly she gasped out and clutched her chest. "Oh my god, Bonnie. It was her!"

"What?" she asked, confused.

"I remember…after Rio left…I can remember," she said breathing hard. "There was nothing but smoke surrounding me and I had moved myself a bit….suddenly Elena was standing over me, but she looked weird…her face…"

Bonnie's heart dropped as she realized what Caroline was saying; who she was talking about.

"No one's safe….that's what she said to me before…before," Caroline said almost hyperventilating.

"What?" Bonnie asked quietly as she pulled into the drive.

"Before she killed me," Caroline said with wide eyes.

* * *

Tyler felt himself be awakened roughly from sleep. "What the hell he mumbled?" as he woke up. Jenna was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest looking furious.

"I could ask you the same thing, Jeremy. What the hell happened last night? Everyone disappeared and I wake up in the morning to find Elena still gone and you here sleeping with your shoulder all bandaged up," Jenna said furiously.

"I can explain," Jeremy said quickly, gingerly getting up. "Where's Mr. Saltzman?"

"HE went home….now spill," Jenna said stonily. "You didn't try something…again, did you?"

"You're asking if I tried to kill myself…jesus. No…You and Mr. Saltzman were passed out on the couch so I went out assuming you were out for the count…" Jeremy started. "I hung out with some friends and I messed my shoulder up skate boarding. It's nothing serious."

Jenna stared at him in disbelief. "You know how bad of a lie that sounds right now, Jeremy. You don't even skateboard."

"That's why I got hurt. I tried it and got too cocky because I thought I was cool. You should have heard the guys railing on me," Jeremy said with a smile.

Jenna narrowed her gaze, clearly still not believing his story. "Say I did believe you, who exactly did you hang out with?"

"Umm, well it started out with a few guys from class, and then it was just me and Tyler," Jeremy said.

"Tyler Lockwood? As in your rival? You guys hate each other, you expect me to believe you hung out?" Jenna asked suspiciously.

Jeremy raised his brows and shook his head. "I really don't' know what else to tell you, Jenna. But I'm sorry if you woke up and I wasn't here. I'm here now, so doesn't that count…welcome home…."

She smiled at him slightly and riled his hair. "I still don't' believe you, but when you want to tell me what happened, I'll be here. And I'm still all for room checks, just so you know. Now how about your sister? Where is she? I haven't even seen her since the hospital…"

"I think she went to Bonnie's," Jeremy said slowly. "Like I said, you looked pretty drugged up and tired so…"

"She wouldn't have known that because she was out all day, Jer. I'm calling her. I don't like this," Jenna said getting up.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Jeremy was going to let her get it when he remembered that she shouldn't be answering the door. It could be Katherine.

"Maybe that's her…and she forgot her keys," Jeremy said, rushing by Jenna to get there first. "I'll get it."

"If it is her, then she's got a lot of explaining to do," Jenna said, brushing Jeremy off as she answered the door.

She was surprised to see Tyler standing there at the door. She looked from him to Jeremy and back, raising her brows in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Jenna asked suspiciously.

Jeremy looked at her unsure what to say. "I was just coming by to checkup on Jeremy and talk if that's ok. How are you doing, by the way? I know you were in the hospital."

"Checking on Jeremy…" she said slowly. "Huh. Maybe you were telling the truth," she said to Jeremy. "Yeah, that's fine, Tyler. And I'm doing really good. Thanks for asking."

"Let's get out of the house," Jeremy said quickly, not wanting Jenna to listen in to their conversation.

"Don't stay out long. I still want to talk to you later," Jenna said sternly, holding the door open.

"K," he said as he stepped outside and nodded his head to Tyler in greeting.

When they were far enough away from the house, Tyler started talking. "Sorry about that," he said with a nod to his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," Jeremy mumbled. "What's up…how's your family?"

"You don't know about Rio?" Tyler said confused.

"I was knocked out after getting dragged out of the car…" Jeremy started. "I don't know what happened after that."

"Alright, I'll start then," Tyler said slowly. "But then you have some explaining to do on your part concerning that woman you referred to as Katherine."

**See I was nice again. No evil cliffies, lol. What's wrong with me! Maybe I'm on a true blood diet and have to go to the Damon method…crap. Anyways, enjoy and review. Title is by Pink and Coldplay. I couldn't pick between the two. Cheers. **


	43. I'm Not Calling You a Liar

"What are you saying, Caroline?" Bonnie asked as she shut the car off and sat in the driveway.

"I know this sounds really crazy Bonnie, but I kind of remember Elena there and then she was like, shoving her bloody hands in my face trying to suffocate me or something. I don't really know. I don't understand," Caroline said getting upset.

"She couldn't have killed you without killing herself…" Bonnie thought to herself. "What did she do after that, Caroline?"

She clasped her eyes shut and thought hard about it, clearly annoyed at herself. "I don't remember Bonnie, I'm guessing she suffocated me till I passed out," she said with a shrug, confusion etched all over her face.

"Caroline. I'm going to try something, but I need you to take my hand and try not to freak out, ok," Bonnie said quickly. "It won't hurt. I'm going to try to understand what happened."

Caroline scrunched her eyes together and shook her head. "Ok, but can you do it fast. I need out of this car and like, some food. I'm so hungry…"

Bonnie shook her head patiently and took Caroline's hand. She then focused and brought into her mind a spell that could make her almost rewind through Caroline's night so that she wasn't actually in Caroline's thoughts, but above her; observing sort of like looking through a magic globe and seeing her past.

"I need you to think of when you made it to the building," Bonnie whispered, concentrating. Caroline obliged and the image popped into Bonnie's vision. She quickly scanned ahead as if pressing the fast forward button on a remote. It was easier to do with the subject right there instead of relying on an item. She slowed as she saw what she was looking for. Saying the spell, she was able to get a bigger picture and zoomed out to take in what really happened:

_Katherine walked into the building looking around curiously. Seeing Caroline, she sauntered over to where she seemed motionless with a dagger sticking partially out of her chest._

"_The annoying blonde of the group…" she said, approaching slowly. "This could be fun…"_

_She slapped Caroline awake a bit and talked to her. "If you survive this night, I want you to relay a message to anyone you care about….no one's safe," she said with a wink before she bit into her wrist and shoved it roughly against Caroline's face. After a short time, she took it away and stared down at Caroline._

"_If I could finish whoever started this dirt work, I would," she said still staring at Caroline, who was unconscious now. "But unfortunately I made a promise and it's one I'm not dying to break," she said as she walked out of the building before the police car made its way there._

Bonnie's eyes snapped open and she realized Caroline was looking at her in shock and nausea. "Oh my god. What was that? What…"

"That wasn't Elena, Caroline. Her name is Kat…" Bonnie started as an explanation, but Caroline jumped out of the car not listening. She ran toward the boarding house with a look a mixture of horror and sheer anger.

"Shit," Bonnie said as she followed as fast as she could.

* * *

"I'm sorry about your brother," Jeremy said as they sat at the park bench. "He was a major dick, but he didn't deserve that. I honestly don't know what Katherine would have been there for."

They had already gone over what each of them knew of what happened of the night; trying to fit pieces together. Jeremy finally told Tyler about Katherine, then, and what she seemed to want and why she was a threat.

"I swear to you it wasn't some sort of set up. She's unpredictable and unstable. What surprises me is that she didn't kill you and your sister, too," Jeremy said shaking his head.

"I told you that Stefan stepped in and she stopped after that. I think that's all she wanted, apparently. I mean, Rio was busy taking him down when she showed up," Tyler said miserably. "But Jeremy, I'm going to need a reason to trust you and your vampire buddies."

"I'd say the same to you," Jeremy began, shocking Tyler. "I mean, I don't care that you can transform whenever, but it's when you go all out of control and attack whoever you want for no reason that's dangerous. How can we be on the same side when you don't pick one?"

"I'm working on controlling it," Tyler replied angrily. "This is new to me…it's hard to focus and shut certain things out. You wouldn't understand. The only thing I can say is that Chloe can at least train me up a bit so that I can be more reliable."

Jeremy nodded, thinking about it. "So that leaves me on my end… I don't know how you can really decide to trust the vampires. I know they are random, but I trust them because they protect Elena. And she in turn, makes sure everyone else is ok, hence they are on our side, Tyler. Katherine is your only enemy here."

"Why would someone who tried to save Stefan be the enemy…what's her game?" Tyler asked frustrated.

"Don't waste any breaths trying to figure out the motive. We need to plan on the best way to take her down. And it will be more than just you and your sister. It will have to be the Salvatore's too…and 2 other vampires probably," Jeremy said, thinking of John and Isobel.

"And one of the others includes the guy that killed your girlfriend. He sounds real trustworthy… You wanted him dead too," Tyler said, pursing his lips.

"Then there's no real trust anywhere, man. It's more like survival of the fittest I suppose. We just work together to take her down and then go from there. Whether you make allies in the process is up to you," Jeremy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I really would love nothing better than to tear that bitch to pieces, but I can honestly say I don't know if it's possible. You didn't see her. She was unstoppable and fierce and tore at Rio like he was made of paper," he said darkly.

"We'll figure something out…" Jeremy said, scrunching his brows in concern. "I don't know when anything will happen, but at least we know that we are on the same side…right?"

"I just want this all to be over…" Tyler murmured. "This Katherine chick needs to go."

"But I want to stay and play with my toys," came Katherine's voice as she approached them with a smile plastered across her face.

* * *

Elena had gotten dressed as fast as she could so that she could head down to make sure everyone had settled down. By the time she got down the stairs and into the living room, John was staring into the empty fireplace and Stefan and Damon were staring daggers at each other from across the room.

"You get all the anger out of your system?" Elena asked as she walked into the room.

Stefan stopped his glaring at Damon to focus on Elena. "I don't know. I'm still busy processing the fact that you and Damon kissed."

Elena paled as she looked at him and then Damon, who shrugged his shoulders looking unabashed. "That's what you were fighting about…" she said slowly.

"You didn't even mention any of it to me, Elena? How could you do it and then get hypocritical with me for kissing Katherine?" Stefan said, shaking his head.

"I was going to explain, Stefan. I was. But I didn't want to upset you more considering how on edge you were. I mean, after what you and Damon just got into…how would you have reacted if I told you," Elena said slowly.

"She's got a point there, brother," Damon said smugly.

"Shut up, Damon. It wasn't even your business to tell him. I can only imagine what you said about it to," Elena said, crossing her arms against her chest. "Can we talk about this, Stefan? In private. We need to talk about it and about what's going on."

"You think it's safe to be alone with him in his mood," Damon said surprised.

"I trust him," Elena said, glaring at Damon. "Can you talk?"

Stefan's face warmed a bit at the thought that Elena was being reasonable and he shook his head. "I fed and I'm under control. I would love to talk."

"Before you have your little lovers quarrel, we should go over the Klaus situation first," John said, turning his attention to them.

"Stefan mentioned he was in the woods…did he do something?" she asked Stefan.

"He actually approached me before I came to you after Caroline died," Stefan started. "He made it clear that if we killed Katherine, that he'd take action."

"Great. Two older and stronger vamps are in Mystic Falls…" Elena said shaking her head. "So how do we take Katherine down without pissing off Klaus?"

But before anyone could answer, the doors to the boarding house burst open and a woman came running into the room. "Where is she?"

"Caroline?" Elena asked in surprise as she took in Caroline's crazy state. "Oh my god. You're alive. How's this possible?" she said heading toward her, intending to give her a hug

Caroline shook her head angrily and before Elena could react, she punched her hard in the face. In seconds, Stefan was in front of her, grabbing Caroline by the face and staring her down.

"What the hell?" Elena asked, rubbing her jaw and getting up. By now, both John and Damon were behind her looking on high alert.

"She's in transition…." Stefan said slowly as he released Caroline out of his grasp. "You can see it in her eyes and smell the changes going on within…"

"All I know is that Elena was trying to kill me…" Caroline said angrily, ignoring Stefan.

"That bitch gets around doesn't she..." Damon said, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Bonnie was in the room looking around frantically and noticed them grouped around Caroline.

"She didn't let me explain what happened before she came in here," she said apologetically.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked questioningly.

"Caroline called me from a payphone freaking out and I brought her here because I figured out what was happening," she started as an explanation.

"You know what's wrong with me?" Caroline said, turning to face Bonnie. "Why did you bring me here, then? Elena tried to kill…"

"Her name is Katherine and she looks exactly like Elena," Stefan said in explanation to Caroline.

"I swear I would never try to hurt you," Elena said, looking hurt.

"But as it is, her evil doppelganger tried to kill you, and so now you're here and we have to finish her dirty work," Damon said with a shrug.

They all turned to look at him with varying emotions on their faces.

"What? You want a newbie vampire running through Mystic Falls?" he said, raising his brows.

"Wait. Shut up. Vampire?" Caroline said slowly. "I'm not a vampire…they don't exist….I'm alive."

"You're alive for like, another 24 hours maybe. Probably less. Then it's lights out for the big nap," Damon said.

"Stop it," Elena shot at him. "You're not making it easy on her .You may have been that cruel to Vickie, but you don't get to talk to her like this."

"Caroline. Katherine is a vampire and she had to have fed you her blood…as long as you don't give in and feed, you won't be a vampire. You will just…" Stefan began.

"I'll what?" she asked nervously.

"You'll die," Bonnie whispered.

"What?" she said, sinking to the floor. "I don't feel like I'm going to die. I just feel weird and hungry. Can't I just take some medicine or something…Please…"she said, breaking down. "I mean do you know how crazy you all sound."

"Look whose talking miss I look like I just escaped from a hospital," Damon replied.

Elena looked over at Bonnie and they shared the same torn expression: Do they let her transition or let her die?

**Sorry for the later update. I was uber tired and busy today. I'll try to get it together earlier tomorrow, lol! But it's another slower chapter because soon it has to pick up what with the full moon and all coming! Wink wink. Should be fun! Anyways, enjoy and review. Title is by Florence and the Machines. I was listening to her album the whole time while writing and this stuck out to me. Cheers.**


	44. Shivers I've Got Em

Jeremy held Tyler back as Katherine approached them. He could only hope that being in a public place dissuaded her from doing anything stupid.

"I'm fine," Tyler said, shoving Jeremy's hand off his chest and getting up. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you did."

She looked at him carefully before answering. "Oh please, like I wasn't doing anyone a favor by ridding this town of one less threat…Besides, he was going to kill one of my boys. I couldn't let that happen. He'd already tried to kill a human earlier too."

Before Tyler responded, Jeremy busted in. "What do you mean he tried?"

"That's not important," she said with a shrug. "The point is that I'm not sorry for what I did to that beast and you'll be smart not to try anything with me or I mount your head over my mantle."

"Listen you little bitc…"

"Calm down .She's just trying to set you off," Jeremy said angrily. "Did you come here for a reason or are you that bored with your life that you came to bug some teenagers?"

Katherine raised her eyebrows in surprise and let out a chuckle. "Oh, I'm never bored…Jer," she said with a wink, knowing how he'd hate to be called that by her. "I just came to warn you that I won't hesitate, Stefan or not next time to take your little friend here down. Nor you."

"Ok message received. You can go know," he said narrowing his gaze.

"It's not over," Tyler said angrily. "But I want to know something."

"Do I get a question in return?" she said coyly.

"Maybe," he said. "You said that Rio tried to kill Caroline. What did you mean by that?"

She pursed her lips and looked them both over as she thought about it. "I'll answer yours, but I'll ask one of my own first. I'm curious about werewolves, you see. So I was just curious…when the full moon comes, are you stronger?"

"What kind of question is that?" Jeremy asked confused.

"A smart one," she said lazily.

Tyler narrowed his gaze and shook his head. "Honestly, you're asking the wrong person. I guess you shouldn't have killed my brother or he could have told you himself."

"I guess I'll just have to take a visit to your sister, then…" she said, clucking her tongue in disappointment. "I assume she's by herself somewhere."

"He said he doesn't know, Katherine," Jeremy shot off angrily.

"Oh he knows…he just doesn't want to tell me," she said knowingly.

"I haven't experienced a full moon yet," Tyler began, speaking through gritted teeth. "But from what I've been told, we are at our strongest at that point and draw our strength and energy from the moon. I can only assume that makes us stronger…why did you want to know that?"

"Ah, but we agreed on one question, not two," Katherine said wagging her finger at him. "You play the game the right way or not at all I'm afraid. Thanks for the info. Now I'll answer yours."

Jeremy waited anxiously to hear what she had to say about Caroline.

"You see, your brother was sloppy. The place reeked of wolf; it was disgusting. I followed the trail and it led me to blood and smoke. Wouldn't you know that he left behind a young girl with plenty of opportunity to get away," she said shaking her head in amusement. "I mean, if you're going to maul and stab someone, do it right…"

"So he didn't kill her?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sure his intention was for her to die. I have no clue why he left her as such. I can only assume now that Caroline's…recovering," she said with a wink.

"What does that mean?" Jeremy asked.

"Sorry. I have to be on my way. I have better things to do than quote 'bug some teenagers.' Have you ever decided to become a vampire, Jeremy? I imagine you'd be funner that way," she said with a laugh.

He simply glared her down until she shook her head. "You have the pout down at least…whatever. Have fun boys…" she said with a wave of her hand.

* * *

Stefan had taken Caroline into the kitchen to talk to her more and get her something to eat; something normal to make her feel better. Bonnie joined them, leaving Elena alone with John and Damon in the living room.

When they were out of the room, Elena slumped onto the couch and put her head in her hands. "How did this happen…" she muttered in disbelief. "She was attacked by a werewolf…Stefan said Katherine wasn't anywhere near there…"

"Oh she can cover her tracks when she wants to," Damon said stonily. "I'm just curious as to what help she thought Caroline would be as a vampire."

"Really, Damon? You think she tried to turn her for assistance? She's obviously a distraction and a way to get at Elena, "John said cockily.

"Thanks. I love knowing that one of my best friends is turning into a monster because of Katherine. IT makes my day," Elena said moodily. "Katherine's taken everyone from me…" she whispered miserably. "First my parents…." She started, but she couldn't bear to finish and list off everything that had happened because of her. "She's just set off this miserable chain of events and I don't know when it will ever stop."

"What do you mean she killed your parents?" John said suddenly.

"Long story short, Katherine caused the car crash," Damon said dismissively.

John's face changed at that, instantly dropping into one of sadness. "You mean Grayson is dead because of her…"

At that, Elena brought her head up to look at John and was surprised by his tone and expression. She never really thought about it, but John had lost his brother that night too. "Yes," she whispered.

"Not to interrupt this family bonding over sadness moment, but we have to decide about the best way to off Caroline," Damon said, butting in.

Elena's face blanched as she took in his words, but she thought it over. "It's her choice," she said slowly. "As much as I hate to see her turn into a vampire, I couldn't bear to force her to do something she doesn't want. It would feel like I was killing her myself."

"Well, I'll do it then. You've mourned her already so it shouldn't be that hard, "Damon said with a shrug.

"What's wrong with you!" Elena shouted at him angrily as she got up and stormed for the kitchen.

"Just telling it how it is," he mumbled with a shrug as he went to pour himself a drink. He noticed then that John was still silent, staring off in the distance. "What's biting you?"

John shook his head and took the glass out of Damon's hand and knocked it back. "I never knew that Grayson's accident was caused by Katherine. If I would have known, I'd never have involved myself in any of this in the first place. I feel …"

"Like a douchebag?" Damon guessed.

"Like I betrayed my brother who did nothing but love my daughter because I couldn't," John ended pensively. "I helped his murderer with her dirty work and that's not something I'm proud of."

"Is there anything you actually can be proud of?" Damon said questioningly.

But John didn't answer. Instead he walked out of the room and retreated to another part of the house.

"Man I can clear a room," Damon said with a grin as he decided whether to visit the kitchen or not. Then a thought occurred to him. There was someone he wanted to meet before really settling down on any plan. Taking one more swig from the bottle, he left the house and decided to go for a long walk and find who he was looking for.

* * *

"This is too much. First you tell me that you and Damon are vampires," Caroline said shaking her head and gripping Bonnie's hand. "And then you tell me that I'm going to be the same and that that if I don't drink human blood I will just die. But if I do, I'll be like some super killer that can't control herself…"

"You can learn control and you don't have to feed on humans," Stefan explained. "But once you make this choice, it's permanent."

"Are you saying then that you will let me choose?" she asked curiously.

"Of course, Caroline. We can't just lock you up and condemn you to die," Bonnie said against better judgment. While every bone in her body was against vampires, she couldn't bear the idea of Caroline dying when she had this other option; monster or not.

"What about a spell, Bonnie? Can't you like reverse this?" Caroline asked pleadingly.

"I'm sorry," she said biting her lip, wishing she was a strong experienced witch. Someone like Grams…like Emily. Then a thought occurred to her. She needed to ask Stefan a question first before she could get her hopes up though.

However, he was already answering Caroline's question. "I agree with Bonnie. I'm afraid witchcraft won't help you, Caroline. I knew a witch in my time and she never mentioned anything about reversing the process, or she would have helped me and Damon out a long time ago so that we didn't have to transition."

That thought made her feel defeated, but she asked her question anyways. "Stefan, how long does she have till she has to make her choice? Like, can it wait till tomorrow?" she asked hurriedly.

"It depends on how strong her heart is, the time she died…different factors. But usually it's a 24 hour process. I wouldn't give her past sunrise," he said sadly. "Why?"

Bonnie's hope was shot down at the idea. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, Emily could have helped her with Caroline. Just because she didn't help the Salvatores, didn't mean that the spell couldn't be done; if there was one that is.

"Maybe there's a spell in the book Katherine had …" she thought to herself hopefully. "If you can hold off your decision as long as you can, I really want to look into seeing if there is a spell."

"But Stefan said," Caroline started.

"Just because Emily didn't help them didn't mean that it couldn't be done," she said harshly. "I'm going to go read and figure this out, Caroline. I promise."

At that point, Elena came storming in, looking pissed off. She softened, however, when she saw a distraught Caroline sitting at the table.

"What's going on?" Elena asked as she walked in.

"I'm going to research really, really fast," Bonnie said rushing out the door. "Stefan can explain. Just, don't touch human blood at all, Caroline. I mean it." And with that, she was gone.

"What was that about?" Elena asked, taking Bonnie's place at the table.

"She's going to see if she can cure me with a spell," Caroline said with a sniffle, but looking hopeful.

"Please don't get your hopes up, Caroline. I'm sorry to say it, but there is no going back. You have a choice to make and you should use this time to decide whether you want this life or not," Stefan said seriously.

Elena squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I'm here for you no matter what you decide, Caroline."

"Thanks," she whispered shaking her head. "What about my mom? She's going to be out looking for me and what am I supposed to do? What do I tell her…"

Elena glanced at Stefan, wondering if she should tell her.

"Caroline," Elena started once she got the confirmation from Stefan. "Your mom already knows about vampires. She doesn't know about Stefan and Damon, but she knows they exist and she's helped to keep the town safe from the bad ones."

"What?" she said unbelieving. "She's just a sheriff, why would she know any of this and be involved?"

"It's a long story," Elena said grimacing. "But…"

"So if she was involved, does that mean she pissed off the vampire that did this to me? I mean, why would she come after me otherwise?" Caroline said, forming her hand into a fist.

Elena closed her eyes and exhaled a low breath. She was going to answer honestly about why she did it, but Stefan cut her off.

"Katherine doesn't need a reason to be cruel. I believe she struck out at you randomly because she found you almost dead in that fire," Stefan said, glancing at Elena.

"You're totally lying to me," Caroline snarled. "She had to have a reason. And another thing, why does she look like Elena and why is she here?"

"It's because of me, ok, Caroline. If it wasn't for the fact that I pissed her off so much and that she wants me gone, none of these bad things would have happened," Elena burst out despairingly. "If you want someone to blame, it's me…she's reminding me that no matter what I do, no one in this town is safe."

That phrase seemed to set something off in Caroline's head; what Katherine had said to her before she shoved the hand in her face. Before Caroline knew it she screeched out and lunged for Elena angrily, knocking them both to the ground.

**Yeah, I'm kind of a liar now promising I would try to update sooner. Sorry. But it's still daily updates, so… Anyways, hope this one was funner for you ****Enjoy and review! Title is by Margot and the Nuclear So and So's. Cheers.**


	45. Holy Roller Novocaine

Stefan pulled Caroline off Elena just in time; she was poised to really draw blood instead of just knocking her down. He struggled as he pulled her up and away and held her in a grip until she calmed down.

"It would be your fault Elena because everything will always be about you," Caroline shouted out as Elena got up from the ground. "It's always about you."

"It's bad enough that I could never have Matt because he' still too busy pining over your glory days, but now you're telling me some crazy bitch killed me in spite of you? You've ruined my life, Elena. Will it be enough if I die? Will I be out of your way enough, then?" she spat out, still struggling in Stefan's grasp.

Elena felt tears well up in her eyes as Caroline continued to yell at her.

"All I ever wanted was to be popular, have an amazing boyfriend, and live my life and make an awesome family. And now you've taken it all away because, why? You stole someone else's boyfriend? Typical. I'm so glad it's worth dying for Elena Gilbert," she yelled at her, breathing hard.

"Caroline, that's enough," Stefan said harshly, looking at Elena in concern.

"I'm sorry," Elena whispered through tears. "I know. Everything's my fault and I can't fix it," she said with a sniffle. "If I could go back and…"

"Well you know what, Elena. You can't go back," Caroline snapped, finally stopping her struggling.

"It's not Elena's fault: it was Katherine's. Regardless of if she knew who you were, Caroline, she would have done it out of spite and to cause more trouble in this town," Stefan said calmly. "She's a victim of her just as much as you are."

"You know, I used to think you were all hot and cool, but you're just an asshole," Caroline hissed. "Let me go."

"Not until I know you're safe to put down and that you won't attack Elena," Stefan said sternly.

Elena continued to stand there with silent tears streaming as she saw the hatred boil in Caroline's eyes.

"Fine," she snapped. "I promise. Now get your hands off me."

Elena nodded her head at Stefan and he put her down.

"I need some clothes," Caroline said once she was out of Stefan's grasp. "I'm in a hospital gown. I need something else or I'll really feel unhuman..."

"I'll get you some," Elena said slowly.

"Great. Oh and Elena," Caroline said smugly. "When I make my decision, you owe me a big one for what happened to me…"

"What. What can I do?" Elena asked pleadingly.

"You're going to let me have your blood if I decide to change. It's only fair," Caroline said cockily.

Stefan was about to protest, but Elena shook her head slowly and fled out of the room to get her some clothes.

"That was all completely unnecessary, Caroline," Stefan said harshly. "She's your best friend and she cares about you. You should have seen what a wreck she was when she thought you were dead. How could you talk to her like that?"

"Oh I'm sorry she had to mourn unnecessarily over me. Guess she couldn't bother to make sure her friends were safe before she did whatever she pleased about town with a killer on the loose," she said rolling her eyes. "If you haven't noticed, Stefan, I'm not in the mood to care about how everyone else feels. I'm a bit busy wondering if I will see another day again…"

"About that too," Stefan said sighing. "If you do decide to change, you won't be able to go out into the sun."

"What!" She yelled. "You do. Damon does. Why can't I?"

"We have rings that contain a stone called lapis lazuli that allows us to walk in the sun. But if you do decide, we will try to find you one," Stefan said seriously.

"Or you can just rip it from Katherine's throat," John said, walking into the room. "Unless of course I do that myself when I meet her. I hate being cooped up myself."

"I need to be alone and think," Caroline said shaking her head, taking in this other bit of information. At that moment, Elena came with some clothes in her hand.

"John. Can you take her to a room so she can get dressed and chill. Somewhere she's safe," Stefan hinted, hoping he knew he didn't want her running out.

"I'm not a servant," John said with a scowl.

"No but you're staying at this house and you can do what I say or go out in the sun and burn to death. Your choice," Stefan said stonily.

John sighed and walked out the door, signaling Caroline to follow.

"Caroline," Elena began as she walked out, but she gave her an evil look and continued on her way.

Elena sank into the kitchen chair and propped her elbows up on the table to lay her head on. Stefan was about to console her when she stopped him. "I know it's not all my fault Stefan, but it feels like it. Katherine has it out for me and this town and now Caroline's…I just want this to end. I mean, what does she want, Stefan? It can't be you guys. There's something else. Is she just playing around?"

"I wish I knew," Stefan said, taking a seat across from her. "But I swear to you that when the time comes, she will be taken down and you won't have to worry anymore."

Elena sighed and took his hand, still visibly upset by Caroline's harsh words. "Speaking of, we might as well talk about what happened…you and Katherine…me and Damon… that way we're clear. Because I swear, I love you Stefan and if you love me…then everything else that has happened shouldn't matter."

Stefan smiled and nodded his head. "I do love you, Elena. Alright. Let's get it out and then go over what I wanted to tell you earlier before I…."

"Got too jumpy," Elena tried with a grim smile.

"Something like that," Stefan said tiredly.

* * *

Damon visited the bridge and was surprised to see that during the day, it looked pretty much the same as they left it. The only difference would be the slight changes eyes like his would pick up; dried up blood littering the grass, sliding tracks toward the river bend and signs of something large making its way into the woods.

He continued on his way trying to pick up tracks and figure out who went where. When he reached the woods, he paused as well to take in his surroundings. He sprinted around, getting his bearings, and made his way toward the area closer to the cemetery and loosely littered trees.

He wasn't sure where else to check to find his friend, so this area was all he had to go on.

"Oh Santa you little bastard, where are you?" Damon called out as he continued looking around.

"Now really," A voice said after 15 more minutes of wandering around. "Santa? You couldn't come up with anything more original."

"I don't waste my time coming up with anything better when it comes to things like you," Damon said, turning, and looking for the source of the voice.

" Oh but you've got nothing but time to waste," Klaus said, appearing on Damon's right side. "So here you are, the other brother Katherine fretted about…Well compared to your brother, I don't know why she couldn't decide which toy to keep."

"If that's a compliment, I'm really disturbed," Damon said, narrowing his eyes. "How is it you know me but I've never met you?"

"That's because you were a human and didn't pay attention to such things. And who's to say we never met. You never used vervain back then, did you boy?" Klaus said with a wink. "No matter. Why is it you were here to look for me? Hoping to take me down?"

"If I wanted to take you down I wouldn't go shouting for you like an idiot with no weapons," Damon said shaking his head. "I came to talk. You can do that right?"

"I suppose," Klaus said. "I see you came alone at the very least, so obviously you're not up to anything at the moment."

"I'll get to the point then, Klaus…Do you have another name by the way? Because it feels silly to call you that…no? never mind, "Damon said with a smirk as Klaus narrowed his gaze at him in annoyance. "I wanted to ask why you're so interested in preserving Katherine's life all of a sudden. From what I know, you haven't seen each other in quite a long time."

Klaus cocked his head to the side and thought it over. "From that point of view, you're saying that once you're distanced from someone for such a long amount of time, it's ok that someone you care about is murdered…You're a keeper…" he said sarcastically. "I don't care to explain Katherine and my history, but let's just say my bond as maker to her is very important to me."

"Because you've never sired any other vampires," Damon said, rolling his eyes. "What do you gain by acting as her guardian? Why bother to mess with a town if she's killed?" Damon asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Klaus circled him real quick as if judging and opponent, Damon turning as he did so.

"I never understood why Katherine wanted to stay in Mystic Falls. She had always randomly chosen somewhere to settle down and get her fill of men or whatever trifles she wanted. But this place was nothing; a barely formed town when she blew in. Then she found you and your brother and it's like she was drawn like a moth to a flame," Klaus said in disgust. "And you were only humans. Stefan, who was naïve and boyish and seemingly fragile. You, a bit more down to earth and strong, yet unable to commit to anything, even to your men in the army who you abandoned before the war even got good…"

Damon narrowed his gaze. He didn't like that Klaus knew a bit about their pasts when he knew nothing of his.

"So I should be asking you…why do you want to destroy a woman who decided you were worth something in this puny world?" Klaus said curiously.

"I was nothing but something new for her to play with," Damon shot out after a moment. "I don't care why she decided to stay in Mystic Falls….I want her gone. Now. And I want to know why you're going to go berserk on this town in retaliation. Why not help take her down and you can be free of her as well? You don't seem to like her by that bit of distaste in your voice."

"Where do you think Katherine learned her sense of fun, Damon? I want to play too. You end her, it's like ending my game," he said with a smile. "So I'd have to start a new one, and what better than taking a town down and making a new piece. And who better than Katherine's look alike and love interest of the Salvatores. Quite a turn around, huh? Her human, you vampires…It'll be fun."

But now, Damon was practically snarling at him, ready to attack. "Well then I have a more important question to ask you."

"Ooh…You've got me intrigued…what is it?" Klaus asked in fascination.

Damon narrowed his gaze and looked at him seriously. "What will it take for me to get you to take Katherine and leave town?

* * *

"You have a lot of nerve sending me a text and requesting me here like some servant," Katherine complained to Bonnie as they met at Fell's Church again.

As Bonnie had left the Salvatores she had sent a text to the number she had for Katherine: **Come to Fell's church with grimmoiré a.s.a.p. or deal's off.**

"And you have a lot of nerve trying to kill Caroline," Bonnie shot off.

"Oh you're just pissed I found a way around our little oath," Katherine said with a smirk. "Now what was so important that I had to drop my lunch plans?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes and looked at her seriously. "I want to look through the book before we do the spell tomorrow. I need to prepare myself ahead of time so that I know what to expect; what to say. Otherwise I'm going in blind and it might not work."

Katherine seemed to debate it in her mind for a bit. "If I would have thought you needed it, you would have had it. I already told you I have all the ingredients. You just have to say the mumbo jumbo and use your powers."

"Well that mumbo jumbo takes strength, Katherine," Bonnie replied snarkily. "I want to know what I'm dealing with. Can I at least look through it for an hour or two? Then I'll give it back," Bonnie tried. She really wanted to see if there was anything in there to help Caroline. She didn't want to reveal that fact to Katherine or it would seem like she was asking for a favor.

"I don't know if I trust you," Katherine said slyly. "Why now. Why is it so important?"

"I already told you I'm new to all of this. I didn't think about going over the spell sooner. It was stupid on my part. Humans make mistakes," Bonnie said, narrowing her gaze.

"That they do, especially thinking they can outsmart me," Katherine said with a grin. "You're asking now because you're hoping to save your little friend…That's it isn't it? I can see it in your face. You forget, Bonnie. I've been around for hundreds of years. I may look your age, but I'm smarter than that."

Bonnie waited a beat neither denying nor confirming Katherine's story.

"You know what...I think I'll let you have it for a few hours. I am actually a bit curious as to if there is anything to be done. Maybe she'll be a zombie when you're done with her. That would be hilarious," Katherine said with a chuckle. "But from what I know from Emily, there is no cure for being a vampire."

"Why Katherine, are you telling me you hated being a vampire?" Bonnie said in shock.

"It's not a disease, it's a lifestyle. While I never chose this life, I've adapted," Katherine said lazily. "And I can be fun and generous when I want. So I'll let you have the book for exactly 2 hours. After that time, you come back here and return the book or I find another way around my promise. Got it? And I want details of your endeavor."

"Agreed," Bonnie said hurriedly. "Just let me have it."

Katherine sighed and reached in her messenger bag. "2 hours," she said narrowing her gaze.

Bonnie nodded her head and grabbed the book. She debated whether to stay there and read through it or go back to the boarding house with it. She didn't think about it too long before she decided she'd rather be somewhere safe while she read the book over.

Instead, she got up and headed for her car.

"No thank you?" Katherine teased out, but Bonnie was already behind the wheel, intent on reading through the pages as fast as she could. She knew time was running out.

**You know what, I'm a late updater because I do all my best writing after the sun goes down, lol. I guess I'm a vampire like that. So, you will have to bear with me with these late ones. If you ever noticed before, I would usually update at like, 2 or 3 in the morning the day before or something. Anyways, just me rambling. Enjoy and review. Title is by Kings of Leon. Cheers. Can't wait for the next episode tomorrow! AHHH!**


	46. Distraction

After Damon's run in with Klaus, he was left wondering what to do with himself. He wasn't looking forward to going back and see what they decided to do with Caroline. She was annoying enough as a human; he could only imagine what she'd be like as a vampire. It didn't help matters that his conversation with Klaus was fruitless.

"_Well not like I'd do you any favors, but the only way she'd leave is if I threatened to kill you guys and that's probably about all I can do, but she'd get bored with that idea anyway. What, do you expect me to grab her by her hair and take her away?" Klaus said with a laugh._

"_So for the record, no killing her or you get pissed?" Damon said lazily._

"_Precisely. I'm afraid you're just going to play along Mr. Salvatore…because there's no way she's going anywhere. Or you can kill her and deal with the consequences."_

"_Well it was worth a shot," Damon said with a shrug. "I guess we'll see how it plays out then." He had been about to walk away when Klaus said one more thing._

"_I'll tell you what. Now that I think about it, maybe there is something you can do and I'll leave you and this precious crap town alone," he said with a gleam in his eyes._

"_You changed your mind pretty quick. Must be a good idea…I'm listening," Damon said curiously._

"_If you let me have Elena…you can have do what you want with Katherine. Whether I keep her alive or not is still up in the air, but she truly fascinates me," Klaus said with a gleam in his eyes._

"_And you said I was stupid," Damon said rolling his eyes. "That would be a no. I thought we kind of went over the whole I don't want her dead thing…"_

"_I say one life for the lives of many is a fair trade…maybe you'll change your mind down the road," Klaus said with a wink before he left the scene._

Damon hadn't really expected much out of the meeting. He had really just wanted to meet him and see what kind of threat they were dealing with. He was powerful; he could feel it radiating from him like some force. Not to mention his speed and senses seemed ten times as heightened. Damon doubted even vervain darts would slow him down. Taking him down didn't seem like an option.

That left Damon thinking of two things: he either got Katherine herself to leave town….somehow….or they sealed her in that tomb, Klaus included just in case he was against the whole imprisonment thing. The hard part, besides relying on a witch the likes of Bonnie, would be getting them both there and stuck long enough for the plan to work.

As he was thinking things over, his phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Damon, thank god you answered. Listen I need your help," came Sheriff Forbes panicked voice.

He held back the sigh that was daring to escape his lips and went along with the conversation. "What is it, Liz? Is it the werewolves? Are you alright?"

"No. I mean, yes, I'm fine. But, ok, you're the only one outside a small group of people to know this, but Caroline…she didn't die that night," she started.

"You mean she's alright? Why didn't you tell anyone?" Damon asked.

"I didn't want the Lockwood's thinking she was alive just in case they decided to go after her again. But anyways. She was in the hospital and I gave her the news that everyone thought she was dead and she freaked out and got out…and I can't find her," she said sounding extremely worried.

"Where do you think she went?" Damon asked, trying to sound worried.

"That's the thing, I tried all the places I thought she'd go and came up with nothing…I'm starting to fear the worst…" she said grimly.

"What, that the Lockwood's grabbed her again? Because I highly doubt they'd start anything not to mention you said that they think she's dead," Damon started.

"No, Damon. I think…I think she's turning into a werewolf," she said, sounding like she was fighting back tears. "She threw the nurse halfway across the room…and…I don't…I don't think I can do it."

"Do what?" Damon asked, this time actually curious.

"I don't think I could kill my daughter if that happened," she said seriously. "So I would need your help."

* * *

Bonnie raced to the house as fast as she could and went into the boarding house. Glad that no one was in the immediate area, she went into a room she found empty and settled herself in to read. She couldn't waste any time. She had two hours to find out anything, but she was more worried about Caroline's own time ticking away.

"Please," she thought as she turned through the pages," please let there be something."

As she was turning through the pages she heard the front door open and close. She vaguely wondered if she should check it out, but decided to keep quiet and continue flipping through the pages. But soon enough, the door to the room she was in opened and in walked Isobel with a curious look on her face.

"Well lookey here. A witch sitting away in the corner of a house reading a book…how curious," Isobel commented.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked, annoyed that she was wasting her time.

"I came to check in on John and see what we're doing about Katherine. I was just wondering what you're doing hiding out in here," Isobel said, squinting her eyes at Bonnie's book.

"Researching and if you don't mind, I don't have a lot of time to waste," Bonnie said, going back to perusing her book. "They should be in the kitchen or living room dealing with Katherine's latest attempts to hurt people."

"Is Elena…" Isobel started.

"She's fine. Katherine decided to turn Caroline and she's in transition deciding over death and worse than death," Bonnie said angrily. "So besides feeling guilty and like crap, Elena's safe."

Isobel stood there a moment analyzing Bonnie. "I wouldn't put it past Katherine to pull something like that…turning your own friends against you…" Isobel said thoughtfully. "And I'm afraid you're wasting the time you could be spending with your friend by looking for a cure in that book."

"You don't know anything," Bonnie said, her eyes scanning through the pages.

"Oh I do know. I've perused through that specific grimmoiré, Miss Bennett. I'm only curious as to how you got it from Katherine," Isobel said, cocking her head to the side.

Bonnie's eyes shot up from the pages and she looked at Isobel in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Bonnie. My college degree—my career—was based on studying the supernatural elements on all sides. When I met Katherine, she showed me the book and I studied it, seeing what spells did what, etc. Of course I couldn't do any of them, but I still know enough about what they entail. And let me tell you, I know that book when I see it," she said, pointing to the book in her hands.

"And what spell is it that you think I'm looking for?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"A reversal spell for your friend I'm assuming. I'm afraid there's none in there to change a vampire to human. Unless you are raising the dead, there's nothing in there that can help your friend," Isobel said with a shrug. As she was saying that, though, a look came across her face as if she was remembering something.

"Let me see that book real quick," she said firmly.

"No," Bonnie said confused.

"I want to see something I just remembered, now let me see it. Unless of course you'd prefer me to tell your little friends in there about your secret meeting with Katherine," she said with a smirk.

Bonnie swallowed hard and handed Isobel the book.

"Humans are so easy to predict. I only assumed you met with Katherine, you just confirmed it," Isobel said, paging through the book with lightning speed.

"What are you looking for anyway?" Bonnie asked in fascination as the pages flipped through fast.

"Son of a bitch," Isobel murmured. "That's it. That's what she wanted it for…."

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked in confusion.

Instead of an answer, Isobel put the book aside and grabbed Bonnie harshly by the neck. "Who does Katherine want to bring back from the dead? Answer me or I snap your neck right now."

Seconds later, Bonnie heard someone open the door again. Hoping it was someone useful, she used her power to fling open the door to her room, and waited for a reaction.

"Is? What the hell…Put her down!" Alaric said as he came charging into the room.

* * *

Stefan and Elena were in the middle of talking when they heard Alaric's voice from the hallway. Stefan was the first to rush to see what happened, but by the time he got there, there wasn't anything going on.

Bonnie was standing there rubbing her neck while Isobel was glaring at her and Alaric looked like he was ready to attack.

"What's going on? What are any of you doing here?" Stefan asked in confusion as he took them in. Elena joined him then and looked around in the same sense of surprise.

"That's not the important question here. The more important one is why Bonnie here is going to do some dirty spell work for Katherine," Isobel said with a snarl.

"Wait, what?" Elena said, looking at Isobel with disbelief. 'Bonnie would never help Katherine."

"Yet here she is with a book that could have only come from Katherine…not to mention that guilt plastered across her face," Isobel said with a nod. "I was just asking her nicely about it when Rick interrupted."

"Yeah you looked like you were being civil about it too," Alaric shot off.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Elena asked, looking at her curiously.

"I will explain everything to you later, I swear, but right now it's really important I look through the book. It may have something in there to help Caroline," Bonnie said. "Trust me Elena, please."

"I wouldn't trust her with that book," Isobel said, interrupting. "In fact, I'd burn it before she did any damage."

"What's so important about that book, Isobel?" Stefan asked, holding a hand up to Bonnie to wait since she looked ready to bolt.

"Rick, your ring was taken, right?" Isobel said with a nod. "And I can only assume John's is too…and that can only mean one thing according to a certain spell in that book…"

"How do you know anything about spells?" Elena asked.

"Studied the stuff back in the day," Isobel said with a grin. "Iregardless, I'm trying to get Bonnie to spill…You see, the rings are necessary—both of them—in performing…"

But her words were cut off as she grasped her head in her hands and yelled out in pain. Bonnie stood there glaring her down with intensity.

"I will explain anything and everything, but I don't have time right now. Caroline's time is running out. I want to see if she has any chance of lasting as a human…and I believe that chance lies in this book," Bonnie said still concentrating on Isobel.

"Fine. Just stop…and go inside and read. But you have a lot of explaining to do," Elena said harshly. "Please don't let me regret it…"

Bonnie nodded gratefully and rushed out of the room, releasing Isobel in the process.

"Can someone please explain what the hell is going on?" Rick said exasperated. "I got a random text saying to get here as soon as I can…and I do and Isobel's vamping out and then you're telling me Caroline's turning?"

"Someone asked you to come here?" Elena asked in confusion.

"That would be me," Isobel said, composing herself. "I wanted to convene a little meeting and thought he should be here too."

"Well that aside, what were you so worked up about, Isobel? Why do you think she's working with Katherine?" Stefan asked.

"I recognized the book and I mentioned to her that there was nothing in there to help Caroline unless she wanted to bring her back to life," Isobel said, raising her brows. "Then it hit me…Katherine wanted the Gilbert rings so bad and she got them…and wouldn't you know that one spell in the book requires such things?"

"And that is?" Elena asked in confusion.

"You don't just raise the dead without a little help from the dead," Isobel said with a grin.

**Hope you like this so far! I have my own history with the rings coming up, so be ready. I'm excited. Soon your questions about the whole rings and such will be answered. Yay! Haha. Anyways, enjoy and review. Title song is by Angels and Airwaves. Cheers.**


	47. I Remember

"Did you ever wonder what the history was with the Gilbert rings? Why they are so powerful?" Isobel asked casually as they all retreated to the living room instead of standing near the hallway.

"I didn't even know they were specific to the Gilberts until John mentioned that fact," Stefan said. "I've been fascinated with how they work, as well."

"Well, then I'll enlighten you. You should get a kick out of this Rick…history and all," she said with a brief smile. He simply scowled in response and sat down.

"From what I know," Isobel began. "The Bennett family came from a long line of witches that stretched long before the Salem witch trials. As such, and as with the Gilbert, Lockwoods, Fell's, etc., they were around when this town was formed."

"Yes, we know about the founding families…" Alaric said.

"Obviously. Well before the town was a stable little town to call home, there was a bit of chaos the likes of vampires and werewolves, though they didn't know what those were at the time…Anyways, to get to the point. A Bennett witch by the name of Cecily was a servant to a Mr. Isaiah Gilbert, your great great something or other," she said to Elena with a wave of her hand.

"Wow…I didn't know their family history went that far back…"Elena said in surprise.

"The town was busy trying to keep people safe. The usual don't go out after sun down, crosses, and warning like that were issued. But Isaiah and his brother Samuel were big players in helping to rid the town of the vampires that plagued the town," she said seriously. "Unfortunately for them, they knew nothing about vervain yet. They were armed only with wooden stakes and other weapons of the time."

"Are we getting somewhere with this story soon?" Alaric asked impatiently, clearly not comfortable with Isobel there.

"It's like getting a taste of your own medicine, eh Rick. You being the student for a change," Isobel said with a smile.

"Please, just go on," Elena said, shaking her head.

"Anyways. The brothers ended up going out on a raid and they both came back badly injured; bloody messes. Back then they thought that a bite would turn you into a vampire, so when you were compromised…" and then she motioned across her head in a cutting motion. "It was game over. Both brothers were "infected" and knew their time was short. In a final plea, Isaiah asked Cecily to do something to help ensure that his sons would never be killed by something supernatural. HE didn't care what happened to himself, just as long as he knew his children were safe."

This line brought to Elena's mind what Stefan told her of her father the night their car went into the water. How Stefan was saving him and he made him save Elena instead. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and continued to listen.

"So Cecily complied, using the best of her magical ability and combining both the light and the dark to create what would be the rings," she said. "Samuel hadn't had any sons, but he was willing to protect his nephews, so he went along with the plan."

"So what are you saying about the rings?" Stefan asked confused.

"The rings encase the spirit, essences, whatever you call it, of both the brothers bound in each ring as protection against anything supernatural. That way if his sons wore the rings, if a vampire or other creature killed them, they would bring them back to life…ferry them back from the spirit world so to speak, and calling upon their power to heal," Isobel explained.

"So there are 2 dead guys in those rings?" Rick asked, bewildered.

"Well that's putting it lightly, but yes," Isobel said with furrowed brow. "That's how you've been protected. You need the dead to make sure your spirit comes back and that's what the rings do."

"Wow…that's a big sacrifice," Elena said in awe. "But, why does it protect whoever? Wouldn't it only work for a Gilbert, then?"

"Cecily did a spell that wasn't really seen before. I'm sure she couldn't perfect it to a certain wearer. After all, it was to be passed down the line to Gilberts, either male or female. Who would know that it would go to other's hands," Isobel said, glancing at Rick.

"Oh my god…so now Katherine has them…and you're saying that she needs them to bring someone back to life?" Elena asked.

"Yes. And both are needed because the body was already dead. The question is who does she want to bring back, and that leads us all back to Bonnie," Isobel said, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm here," Bonnie said firmly, looking weary. "And you're not going to believe what I'm going to tell you."

* * *

Tyler went home shortly after the meeting with Jeremy and Katherine, and he was relieved to see Chloe there safe and sound.

"So I know this isn't the best timing," Chloe started as Tyler settled in, "but we have to arrange for mom and Rio's funeral; make it like a joint service or something. I don't really know. I was never the one for planning…"

"I'm sure there's something in mom's will about what she wants and we'll go from there," Tyler said with pursed lips. "This is crazy, Chloe. We just buried dad, and before we know it, there goes mom and Rio…this curse is going to take us all…"

"We can't think that way," Chloe said firmly. "We'll fight it. We're Lockwoods, damn it. It's time we started stepping up, Tyler. We're all each other has right now."

Tyler nodded his head and slumped in his seat. "Alright, but before we delve into any of that, Chloe, I want to tell you what I found out with Jeremy."

"Do you trust him?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Yeah…I actually do for some reason. I mean, we used to hate each other and we dated the same girl back some time ago…it's weird, but we have some weird understanding of each other and we're cool now. I believe him," Tyler said honestly.

"So what's the story, then?" Chloe asked.

After he filled her in, he brought up Katherine showing up in the park and the threat she made.

"And the really weird thing was that she asked me if it was true if wolves were stronger during the full moon or not," Tyler said, shaking his head.

"What did you tell her?" Chloe asked fiercely.

"I told her the truth, or at least what I was told was the truth. I didn't know if she'd freak out and go after you if she thought I was lying," Tyler said with a shrug.

"But you didn't tell her anything else about the full moon or anything like that, right?" she asked quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"She just thinks we're stronger?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. What are you getting at?"

"Well I'm just glad you didn't mention the fact that we're like 10 times stronger, but completely out of control. We're practically deadly during the full moon, Ty. That's why when that happens, we either try to lock ourselves up, or, what Rio and I did was take a shit full of sedatives and locked ourselves away," Chloe said shaking her head. "Otherwise, we could hurt people and a few scratch marks will be the least of your worries."

"Like what?"

"As in we can kill people; we don't regain control of ourselves. And one bite will transform a normal person into one of us…instantly," she said shaking her head. "It's not safe. That's why tomorrow we're not leaving this house."

"Shit…"Tyler said, running his hand through his hair.

"And you're especially dangerous," Chloe said worriedly. "This is your first one so it's not going to be easy for you…I'll try to tell you what I can before tomorrow so you know what to expect."

"Thanks. Sounds like a fun birthday," Tyler said with a grimace.

"It'll get better. Maybe…"

But before she could finish, the doorbell rang. They looked at each other curiously before they went to the door. Peeking out a window first, they saw that it was Sheriff Forbes and Damon.

"What the hell?" she asked angrily.

Tyler shrugged his shoulders but answered the door anyway. He would have liked nothing better but to slam the door in her face, but he composed himself.

"Here to arrest Chloe again, or you just double checking that Rio's dead," Tyler snapped.

"I really am sorry how things went down that night; it was supposed to be a peaceful exchange, "The sheriff said shortly. "I have a question for you and I need you to answer me honestly right now."

"We don't owe you anything," Chloe said somberly.

"This is important and it would be better if you cooperated," Damon said harshly. "I mean, she could always take you downtown for questioning: Your pick."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but Sheriff Forbes continued.

"I need to know if you have Caroline," she said shortly.

They both looked at her in confusion a moment before Tyler answered.

"Why would we have your daughter? She's dead…" Tyler said confused.

"Actually, she's not," Sheriff said with a shrug. "She almost was, flat lined and everything, but she came too. I kept this fact from everyone because I didn't know who was responsible for her death."

"Thought we'd finish the job?" Tyler said disgusted.

"Emotions aside, Tyler, she wants to know if you've seen her or more importantly, could she be running out in the woods right now," he said suggestively.

"You think she's a werewolf?" Chloe said. And surprising everyone, she burst out in laughter.

* * *

Jeremy couldn't help but leaving his meeting with Tyler feeling a little useless. It was one thing to be involved in making an alliance of some sort, but other than that, he would be sitting on the sidelines regardless.

He was like Isobel said, merely human. The only way she said he could be helpful otherwise would be to turn vampire. But he knew better now than to turn down that route. Sighing he opened the door and walked into the house to find Jenna busy at work in the living room.

"I'm so behind on my work. I'm just glad doctor's notes work. Cramming a million hours' worth of information in your head, however, doesn't quite work as easily," Jenna said shaking her head in frustration.

"I know how you feel. High school student, remember? We do that on a daily basis," Jeremy said with a laugh as he sat down.

"Yikes…so now you're all done with Tyler, you want to explain to me why you're even hanging out with him?" Jenna asked, throwing her pencil down.

"I think we've just been kind of loner's lately and we just started hanging out…beats being bored, right?" Jeremy said with a shrug.

"I suppose…you know when I finally get my degree in psychology I'll figure out what you're up to," she said with a laugh.

"Ohh, I'll watch out then," Jeremy said with a grin.

"Have you heard from Elena? I'm seriously contemplating calling the National Guard on her," Jenna said, getting serious.

"Let me go call her and see if I can get through," Jeremy said, getting up.

He dialed her number, now equally as concerned as Jenna. He would have expected some news from her by now, especially how things left off last night.

"Everything ok?" Elena asked as soon as the call went through.

"I was going to ask you the same thing, Elena. You haven't called or stopped by and Jenna's about ready to call in reinforcements to find you," Jeremy said sarcastically.

"I'm fine, Jer. Something's going on here and I really can't leave right now," Elena said hurriedly.

"What is it?"

"It's Caroline. She's not dead…but she's in transition. And Bonnie's going to tell us something and…I just can't go into it right now. But I can't come home," Elena said, sounding worried.

"Are you serious Elena?" Jeremy said, but his conversation was ended with Jenna came in and grabbed the phone from his hands.

"Elena! Where are you?" Jenna asked sternly.

"Jenna. So glad you're awake and feeling better. Listen, I'm with Bonnie working on some big project. But I promise I will be home as soon as I can. Don't call the cops," Elena replied with a hopeful chuckle.

"I want you home, now, Elena. I don't like that you're suddenly out and about whenever and I have no clue what you're doing. I'll give you an hour to finish, then you better get home," Jenna said seriously.

"Alright, Jenna. I have to get back to the project then now that I have an hour left to finish," She said sounding exasperated.

"Don't be late," Jenna said as she hung up the phone.

"And that's how it's done," she said looking proud of herself. "I watched your mom do that speech a few times," she said to Jeremy's shocked face.

She walked back into the living room and Jeremy was left there shaking his head. "Caroline's in transition…." He thought bleakly.

As he was walking to the kitchen, he got a text from Elena. **Stall her for me, will you?**

He laughed at that one, rolling his eyes and opening the fridge.

**Hope you like it and no Evil cliffies at least! Enjoy and review. Title is by Damien Rice . Cheers**


	48. Pump It

"What did you find out Bonnie?"

Elena was the first to speak after everyone took in Isobel's story and Katherine's possible plans.

"So get this…there is a spell that can reverse the transition," she said with a grin. "No one said it was possible, but it is. If we act fast enough, Caroline's going to be ok."

"Can you trust this book?" Stefan asked doubtfully. "If we believe as Isobel says, it's from Katherine. How do you know it wasn't tampered with?"

"It's legit…it's my ancestors book. And it's hard to mess with a witch's grimmoiré," Bonnie said. Sounding hopeful, she continued. "I want to do this for Caroline as soon as possible."

"I don't like just jumping into this, Bonnie. How are you sure it'll work? And can you do it?" Elena asked.

"I know I can…but it's going to require your and Stefan's help," Bonnie said, biting her lip. "If you've ever trust me in your life, Elena, I need you to do it now."

"This sounds really serious, Bonnie," Alaric said sounding confused. "Why such the rush? I think that you should read it over and think about it before just jumping into things."

"I have to give the book back to Katherine in an hour," Bonnie said with a guilty look on her face. "And it's not like I can photocopy it; the magic doesn't allow that. We need to do this now. Everything else will be explained later."

"You're working with Katherine?" Stefan said with a frown.

"I told you," Isobel said rolling her eyes. "All the more reason to burn the books, especially knowing what spells are in there."

"Elena?" Bonnie asked pleadingly.

Everyone turned to stare to see what would happen. "I don't know how you're involved with Katherine Bonnie or why. But I know that you wouldn't turn on us and especially do something to hurt Caroline. So whatever spell you believe works is worth a shot."

"Thanks," she said with a grim smile. "Let's find Caroline, then."

Bonnie started for the kitchen with Elena following. Isobel grabbed her by the hand before she could go further. "Are you sure you know what you're getting into here? You sure you can trust someone working with Katherine?"

Elena shook her off and glared at her. "I trust her more than I would ever trust you in my lifetime. You might think that everyone out there is out for something, like you are, but I don't. Besides, aren't I going on a bit of faith here with you around in the first place?"

With a final backwards glance, Stefan followed them out.

When they opened the door to the study, Caroline was standing there pouting.

"He totally would not let me out of this room. Thanks for that," she said sounding annoyed. He simply shrugged his shoulders and left, disappearing to another part of the house.

"We didn't want you going anywhere just in case," Stefan said.

"Whatever," Caroline said stepping out.

"Caroline! I have some good news. I found a spell in this book that can put you back to normal," Bonnie said happily.

"What?" Caroline said, her face etched with shock.

"You don't have to choose anymore. You're going to live. I promise I can fix it," Bonnie said with a smile.

"Shut up," Caroline said with a smile. "Oh my god! That's amazing! When can we start….I'm like dying here!"

"As soon as possible," Bonnie said confidently. "Alright. Stefan and Elena, I said I need your help. And Mr. Saltzman's as well."

"Just tell us what to do," Elena said with a nod.

"Alright, First off, Stefan, I'm going to need you to bring me some vervain. Wait, unless… Mr. Saltzman, do you have a vervain dart?" Bonnie asked hurriedly.

"I have a dart in the car," he said looking confused. "I'll go get it."

"Ok, then never mind with that, Stefan. I need both a syringe and vervain so it works out," Bonnie said looking relieved.

"Wait, syringe?" Caroline asked.

"I can give you a little run down on how this works if you want," Bonnie said as she scanned through the spell.

"Umm, that would help considering it's my life at stake," Caroline said nervously.

"Long story short, you're going to have to take what I give you, drink it, I do the spell and Elena pulls off a John Travolta-Uma Thurman scene from pulp fiction," Bonnie said hurriedly.

"And what the hell does that mean? I've never seen that movie. That's like a dick flick, right?" Caroline said annoyed.

"Are you serious?" Elena asked Bonnie.

"What am I missing out on here?" Caroline asked.

"It means I have to stab a needle through your chest…straight to the heart….but with what?" Elena asked Bonnie in confusion.

"Your blood," she said seriously.

* * *

"I like how you go out all guns blazing, knives sharpened, and you know nothing about us," Chloe said abruptly ending her anger. "And like Rio would ever want to turn her into a werewolf…the idea is preposterous."

Sheriff Forbes was about to respond when Damon cut her off.

"So enlighten us. Why would Caroline not be a werewolf?" he asked, knowing full well why. Hell, the sheriff knew why, but she wanted to hear it for herself.

"Because she wasn't bitten during the full moon," Tyler said stonily. "So if she ran out on you even though she was supposed to be dead, then she left on her full human will…"

"And the fact that she was alive the whole time, disgusts me because that means that Rio was never a murderer, "Chloe spat at the Sheriff. " Was he wrong, yes, terribly wrong. But he was no murderer, and you were planning on taking him down as such."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. She never said anything about killing him. What happened to him was out of our hands. She wanted him to come down to the station and he came up with an ultimatum of you for a hostage," Damon said, trying to remain civil. "But we're getting off track."

"Caroline ran out of the hospital and I haven't been able to hunt her down, yet," Sheriff Forbes continued. "I just wanted to find out if there was the slightest possibility she wasn't infected."

"Oh now we're diseased?" Chloe said angrily.

"We're not helping by being here, Liz. Why don't you do another sweep of the town, see what you can find," Damon said, glaring at Chloe. "I'll stay behind ask a few more questions, and then search myself."

"Thanks…And I really am sorry for your loss," Sheriff Forbes said to both Chloe and Tyler. "I can only hope to reach some understanding with you someday…for the safety of us all."

With that she walked away and went back to her car. Once she was gone, Damon turned around to leave as well.

"What, no questions or accusation?" Tyler asked in surprise.

"No. Frankly, you don't worry me much at all. And as for Caroline, I'm sure she'll come back once she's not all pissed off with her mom or something," Damon said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You know something," Chloe said before he could leave. "Or you'd still be hounding us."

"I know many things, but what Caroline would do besides running out for a haircut is a mystery to me," Damon said with a grin. "You have a good one, now."

"I'm starting to really hate vampires," Chloe said with a hiss as she slammed the door.

Damon smirked as he walked away. He probably would have argued a bit with them just for the hell of it, but he wasn't in the mood. He supposed he should go back to the boarding house to see what the hell they were deciding on over there, but even that sounded bland.

He had been so comfortable sleeping when Stefan barged in and basically kicked him out; he wanted him out of the house too, but they both knew that wasn't happening any time soon. So that left Damon to wander and think about the past night's events beginning with Katherine and ending with Elena.

It was weird how it just melded into that, but it did. He sighed as he thought about Elena teasing him in the club with that kiss; he wondered now if she even remembered it. Either way, she had something bubbling for him somewhere inside. He became a little angry at himself then, and then at Elena for thinking of things like that. It got them nowhere but trouble. Elena had made it clear she wanted Stefan and when Damon tried anything, he was shot down.

"I should turn monk for a year," he mumbled to himself as he wandered and found himself inexplicably at Elena's house.

He laughed humorlessly as he looked at her house. He knew she wasn't home so he didn't know why he ended up here. Shrugging his shoulders, he circled the house casually to at least make sure everything looked safe. As he went to the backyard, he noticed Jeremy at the kitchen counter drinking something out of its container.

He smirked and positioned himself so that Jeremy would eventually see him and then banged gently on the window. The reaction was immediate; Jeremy spit out what was in his mouth, sputtering, and dropped the container down. Damon let out a chuckle at the stupidity of his joke, but he was bored.

"You're an asshole," Jeremy muttered as he finished coughing out the milk.

A minute later, he came to the back door and glowered at Damon. "What are you even doing here, creeper? If it's about Katherine bugging me and Tyler…"

"Katherine approached you?" Damon asked, his smile dropping.

"Yeah…" Jeremy said slowly.

"Alright milk man, tell me what happened," Damon said, leaning against the tree.

* * *

Katherine walked into the empty house and looked around with a grim smile. The last time she was here, she was talking to Elena about her past. She hadn't had a chance herself to simply look around for old time sake.

But something else brought her here, and she was only happy that now she was able to go get it. She made her way to what was her bedroom and walked in, brushing away the few cobwebs that glistened in the doorway.

Memories came flooding in of herself twirling around in her new dresses or reading a good novel in bed…or those times with Lucas. But she stopped herself before she started to actually feel anything. Taking a deep breath, she walked to where the bed still stood and pushed the side table over an inch. Underneath it was a loose board that she was able to open with no difficulty.

Peering inside she was glad to see that it was still in there: her journal. She had left the house with no intent on coming back again. She never really thought to take it at the time. She was looking to see it as some sort of time capsule.

It looked a little dust ridden and aged, but otherwise intact. She was always good at having good hiding places for things. She use to have the diary just in a drawer or behind her pillow; nothing in it seemed too precious if some other prying eyes, like her husbands, delved into it. But once Klaus entered her life, she had to hide it away just in case. There was no way for her to not write about him given everything that had happened.

She tucked the journal tenderly in her bag and roamed around the rest of the house, almost making peace with it. When she was done, she left and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was keeping.

With an hour to kill before Bonnie was to meet her back with the book, she decided she would probably just take the journal and read at the cemetery. Once upon a time her favorite pastime was writing and reading outside among the trees; it seemed like ages since she allowed herself such a luxury.

She got into her car to drive back to Mystic Falls when she noticed she had a passenger in the back.

"You really have to stop annoying me like this, Klaus. You could always call me on the phone. It's not 1865 you know?" She said, glaring in the mirror and driving off anyway.

"Oh but I live to bask in your shadow, love," he said with a grin. "I was curious as to what you were up to…same little alert doesn't shut off, so I knew you were here again. You know, this town is boring? I can't find a thing to do but eat people….I mean, they don't even have a decent pub."

"Then leave. No one asked you to come. And stop stalking me," she said. "I know you live to make my life miserable, but why did you pop up now after this time?"

"I have my reasons as you have yours. Why did you come back here again anyway, Katie?" he asked speculatively.

"Oh you know I don't like being called that," She said, rolling her eyes.

"Which is precisely why I said it…"

"I wanted to get a good look around because I don't plan on coming back here for a long time, soon," She said wistfully.

"You mean you're leaving town so soon?" he said, almost looking disappointed.

"I feel I'll have what I came here for shortly. Then we'll both be done being bored, shall we?" she said with an evil smile.

**OK. Sorry for the later update. Had a lot to do lately! Enjoy and review! Title is by black eyes peas. I know it's really random, but this song came in my head while I was writing the last part of the first scene, and the Damon and Jeremy scene, lol. Random. Cheers.**


	49. Black Magic Woman

**A/N: Please read long note at end of chapter...

* * *

**"I'm guessing Tyler doesn't trust me too much or he might have mentioned that fact to me when I paid him that little visit," Damon said shaking his head as Jeremy went over the meeting in the park.

"There aren't a lot of people that do trust you, Damon," Jeremy said with raised brow.

"But the positive is that there are people out there that do…Now what I don't like about this happy convo you guys had is that Katherine wanted to know about Tyler's wolfy-ness," Damon commented.

"Yeah, it was a pretty random question. What do you think she wants?" Jeremy asked.

"Apparently she's up to something either on the night of a full moon…or she wants to make sure the wolves don't attack her, because then she might actually lose," Damon suggested.

"She's really confusing…but one thing I don't understand is that she said that Rio didn't kill Caroline, but that she made sure that she was ok or something? Then Elena told me that Caroline's in transition. Why would Katherine pull something like that on Caroline?" Jeremy asked seriously.

"I'm so done trying to figure out what game Katherine is playing," Damon replied. "How about we focus on staying alive and let the little bitch tire herself out."

Jeremy cocked his head to the side and stared at Damon.

"I know, like that will happen…anyway. This little development with the wolves is def. something to check out. Just keep an eye out for your boyfriend" Damon said with a chuckle.

"Shouldn't you be out drinking or killing people right now?" Jeremy asked, sounding annoyed.

"Nah, that would make me too predictable. I'm just killing time…that's not illegal, right?" Damon said. "But I guess I should check on the Caroline problem after all so that I know if I need to stake someone."

"What?" Jeremy asked, his face dropping.

"If Caroline decides to turn, I'm imagining another Vickie on our hands. So even though they are giving her a choice, the final line is that she's a goner either way," Damon said as if it was the easiest conclusion in the world.

"I can't believe you'd compare her to Vickie," Jeremy said darkly.

"Whatever. Keep indoors away from vampys and wolves for a bit. I don't think Elena would like it too much knowing your current endeavors," Damon said, tipping his head. "Later."

Damon made his way home at a grueling pace and finally reached the doors. He vaguely heard Caroline and co. discussing something. Shrugging his shoulders, he headed up to his room to drink a bit and research something online about full moons.

"Totally Stefan meets Alaric-like," he said, disgusted with the thought, but he went up and booted up his laptop, still vaguely aware of the conversations downstairs.

* * *

"You're joking me, right? That's crazy even for you, Bonnie," Caroline said, throwing her arms over her chest.

"Well unless you'd prefer that you have massive cuts made across your chest instead," Bonnie said, continuing her scan of the spell. "Trust me. It's the only way this will work."

"I don't understand. Why do I have to do that? Well, besides the fact you'll be doing the spell. But why do we have to give her blood. Won't that change her?" Elena asked in confusion.

"The spell here says basically that She is to ingest bane of that which bit her, vampire blood—that's where Stefan comes in—and the weakness of that bane, which is vervain. That's mixed together and then Caroline consumes it. I perform this spell which I guess basically draws out the vampire blood in her system, and once that's done, her heart stops," Bonnie said seriously.

"That's not going to work for me," Caroline said, scrunching her eyes.

"So that's where the blood to your heart comes into place-Sangre of the living—needs to be introduced again into her body, the closest to the heart as possible, hence the jab," Bonnie said looking sorry. "Back then when the spell was attempted, I assume, they carved massive lines closest to the heart and poured blood into the wounds. A syringe sounds smarter."

"I would have to agree there…" Stefan said, speaking for the first time. "Do you think that's why Emily didn't try that on me or Damon?"

Elena looked at Stefan in sympathy and grabbed his hand. "I was only asking because I can't imagine Emily not trying to help us after sincerely worrying about our outcome…."

"I'm betting this spell had a 50% probability rate if any of working. People weren't just stitched up all nice and healthy back then. If you carve wounds in your chest, you might kill yourself in the process," Isobel pointed out. "And that's assuming this spell works at all. I've never heard mention of it working."

"But you knew about it?" Bonnie asked, narrowing her eyes. "You said there was nothing in there to help."

"Because I think it's dark magic and that nothing good can come of it," Isobel said glaring back.

"Got it," Alaric said, coming back into the room with the dart.

"Well regardless of what you think, this will work," Bonnie said with a light of confidence in her eyes. "You can leave if you think it'll go bad."

"It's not my life you're messing with. Go ahead," She said with a nod to Caroline. "But I say just turn, Caroline. At least that's a possibility. This might be sudden death right here."

"Ignore her, Caroline. I do," Rick said as he handed Bonnie the dart.

"Ok. Stefan, I need a cup and some candles. Let's go to the living room and start," she said hurriedly, zooming away.

"You sure you want to do this, Caroline?" Elena asked, looking her over.

"I'm sure. And don't worry. Since I'm making the choice here, I won't blame you if anything goes wrong this time," Caroline said, strutting out to the living room.

Minutes later they all gathered in the living room. Bonnie had instructed Caroline to sit in the center of the rug with plenty of space to fall back when the spell was done. Meanwhile, Stefan had opened his wrist and poured some of his blood into a cup. It hissed some as it hit the pool of vervain sitting at the bottom.

After Bonnie lit the candles, she grabbed the empty vervain dart and approached Elena. "I need it to be your or Mr. Saltzman blood because you're not vampires or witches," she said in explanation.

"I understand," Elena said, nodding her head. "I'm use to giving blood lately anyways," she said with a grim smile.

"Yeah, you have that sign on and everything," Bonnie said. "Ok, ready? What do they say? A little jab? Pinch…whatever," she said apologetically as she placed the needle in Elena's arm and withdrew what was needed.

"Ok. We have everything," bonnie said, stepping back and holding the syringe out to Elena. "When I tell you to, inject it straight to her heart, got it?"

Elena nodded and stood next to Bonnie.

"I need to hold your hands, Mr. Saltzman, Stefan…Isobel," she said unwillingly. "Just as an energy boost. If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"I choose not to," Isobel said standing aside.

"Bitch," Caroline muttered from her spot on the floor.

Ignoring the fact, Bonnie placed her hands over the cup and began chanting something slow and steady; it was similar to that of a blessing as she recited over the cup, sometimes moving her hands in different motions.

Once she was done. She brought the cup over to Caroline.

"I need you to drink his down and relax. You're going to be really uncomfortable, but it will pass. Just focus on living, ok?" Bonnie said with a smile.

"Ok. Sounds so easy" Caroline said, sounding scared. "Cheers," she squeaked out as she gulped it down, making a repulsed face.

Bonnie took Stefan's hand, who took Alaric's, who took Elena's. She stood closest to Caroline, ready to do what was asked of her.

Taking a deep breath, Bonnie began:

_Non omnis moriar….mens sana in corpore sano. legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus…_

The candles flickered a bit as Bonnie repeated the chant over and over, drawing energy from everyone's emotions.

At first Caroline didn't react and then before anyone knew it, she collapsed back onto the ground and began almost to spasm in pain.

Elena wanted desperately to help her, but she held her place knowing she couldn't do anything. After a few agonizing minutes, Caroline stopped twitching all together. That's when Bonnie paused long enough to say Elena's name.

Without hesitation, Elena ran over to Caroline's body, which was now unmoving and looked lifeless.

"Please work," Elena hoped in her mind as she firmly raised the syringe and plunged it into Caroline's chest, releasing the blood into her heart.

Bonnie's chanting got louder and faster as Elena waited there next to Caroline, praying it worked.

_Non omnis moriar….mens sana in corpore sano. legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus…_

A few candles went out then as Bonnie continued. Elena grasped Caroline's hand, almost willing Caroline back.

"Please," she whispered.

Then suddenly, the candles all went out and Bonnie's chanting ceased.

They held their breath in unison, waiting for a reaction.

Without warning, Elena felt a small squeezing pressure in her hand and Caroline shot up with a gasp.

**So here's the story. I have a road trip to the good ole Midwest tomorrow for the wedding of one of my bff's. It's a fun 14 car ride, but well worth it. However, that means I will be away from the computer and all over the country…for 2 weeks! EEKS! I know I'm sorry! But life calls, right? So I leave you with this cliffie to dwell on evilly. Hope you don't hate me. I will return, but will start it as another story since we're nearing 50 here. I don't want to scare potential readers' away, haha. SO when I get back, the next chapter will tell you where to go to read on. This story is FAR FAR from over as you know; it's just on hiatus—which is rightfully earned since I've been writing since MAY! May! That's a long time. Thanks in advance for your patience and I hope to return to you with amazing writing. As always. Enjoy and Review. Cheers! (And please don't forget about this story in its hiatus, haha. P.S. Should I do a previously on the vampire diaries thing before I continue, haha) Title is by Carlos Santana and Peter Green, haha.**


	50. Author's Note

Thank you everyone for your patience! I literally just got back last night at midnight after 12 hours of driving! My friend's wedding was amazing and it was great to see so many friends and family again after a long time. So I am back now and as promised, I will continue the story. Here is the link to the continuation "Homecoming: The ties that bind :

.net/s/6378342/1/ (type in fanfiction in front of the link)

And if that doesn't work, just click on my name and go to the stories I made or look on the list. It's still continuing on its merry way, just under another title so I don't scare people off with a billion chapters because this is officially chapter 50 of the story, haha! (And that's just for this story!) So same story nothing changed, etc. Sorry my titles aren't amazingly creative, haha. I mean it's hard enough naming the chapters, so I figure the title can just kind of continue, haha!


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